The wild Chinese sturgeon is now on the verge of extinction, according to state media reports.

The reports said the rare fish has not reproduced since last year in the polluted and crowded Yangtze river.

"It is the first time that we found no natural reproduction of the endangered sturgeons since records began 32 years ago when [the Gezhouba] dam was built," said Wei Qiwei, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

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Reports said no eggs were found to have been laid by wild sturgeons in the Yangtze River. In addition, no young sturgeons were found swimming along the Yangtze toward the sea in August, the typical month for them to do so.

Over-fishing, habitat loss, and reduced water quality driven by dam construction are some of the reasons for the deteriorating population of Chinese sturgeon.

Chinese sturgeon is classified as "critically endangered" on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's "Red List" of threatened species. One more level and it will be labeled as "extinct in the wild."

Researchers said dozens of dams including the world's largest, the Three Gorges, along the Yangtze led to the environmental degradation and habitat loss of the rare fish.

Xinhua said the Chinese sturgeon gained the nickname "aquatic pandas."

A study from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2012 said there are other animals that have crumbling populations due to China's decades of development and urbanization.

TagsChinese sturgeon, Wildlife Extinction, endangered species, marine life