An understanding of population demographics and life history processes is integral to the rehabilitation of fish populations. In Australia’s highly modified Murray–Darling Basin, native fish are imperilled and fish deaths in the Darling River in 2018–19 highlighted their vulnerability. Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) is a long-lived percichthyid that was conspicuous in the fish kills. To guide population rehabilitation in the Darling River, pre-fish kill age structure, provenance and movement of golden perch were explored using otolith microstructure and chemistry (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr). Across the Lower and Mid-Darling River, recruitment was episodic, with dominant cohorts associated with years characterised by elevated discharge. There was substantial variability in age structure, recruitment source and movement patterns between the Lower and Mid-Darling River. In the Mid-Darling River, tributaries were an important recruitment source, whereas in the Lower Darling fish predominantly originated in the Darling River itself. Downstream movement of juveniles, upstream migration of adults and return movements to natal locations were important drivers of population structure. Restoring resilient golden perch populations in the Darling River will be reliant on mitigating barriers to movement, promoting a connected mosaic of recruitment sources and reinstating the hydrological and hydraulic factors associated with spawning, recruitment and dispersal. Globally, increasing water resource development and climate change will necessitate such integrated approaches to the management of long-lived migratory riverine fishes.

了解人口统计和生活史过程是鱼类种群恢复不可或缺的一部分。在澳大利亚高度改造的墨累-达令盆地，本地鱼类受到威胁，2018-19 年达令河的鱼类死亡凸显了它们的脆弱性。金鲈（Macquaria ambigua）是一种长寿的鲈鱼，在鱼类杀戮中很显眼。为了指导达令河的种群恢复，利用耳石微结构和化学（⁸⁷ Sr/ ⁸⁶先生）。在达令河下游和中游，招募是偶发性的，主要队列与以排放量增加为特征的年份相关。下达令河和中达令河之间的年龄结构、补充来源和运动模式存在很大差异。在中达令河，支流是重要的补充来源，而在达令河下游，鱼类主要起源于达令河本身。幼鱼的下游迁移、成鱼的上游迁移和返回出生地的迁移是人口结构的重要驱动因素。恢复达令河有弹性的金鲈种群将依赖于减少移动障碍，促进相互连接的补充来源，并恢复与产卵相关的水文和水力因素，招募和分散。在全球范围内，日益增加的水资源开发和气候变化将需要采用这种综合方法来管理长寿命洄游河流鱼类。