We evaluated the occurrence and stock status of larval Xenocyprininae in the mid and lower reaches of the Pearl River, China. We collected larval samples from Zhaoqing using a Jiang net between 2005 and 2011. The occurrence of larval Xenocyprininae was stable between April and October, with individuals being captured a mean of (183±12) d each year (40.1% occurrence rate). We observed several peaks in larval drift associated with floods between May and August. There was a significant correlation between Xe. The larval density in 2007 was significantly higher than in 2009 (=0.009), but was not different from the remaining years. During the drifting peak of larval Xenocyprininae, larval density was higher during the daytime than in the morning or at night, though there was no significant difference between the three time periods over the entire sample period. We observed a decrease in the larval recruitment of Xenocyprininae, likely due to the operation of Changzhou Dam. Given this, we suggest that the operation of Changzhou dam be modified, by opening the fishway and increasing flows, to reduce its effect on fishery resources in the mid and lower reaches of the Pearl River.