Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) fish species and information / pictures of Sturgeon - Acipenser sturio

Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) fish species information

Scientific Name
Acipenser sturio

Common Name
Sturgeon

Biology
Amphihaline and potamodromous fish (Ref. 51346, Ref. 51439), frequenting littoral zones (Ref. 2163, Ref. 51439, Ref. 51442). It lives the major part of his live in sea but enters rivers for reproduction (Ref. 30578, Ref. 51442). At the sea, it occur in coastal and estuarine zones on soft bottom. In freshwaters, it inhabits estuaries and large rivers (Ref. 59043). Juveniles found both in estuaries and in the sea (Ref. 2163). Usually solitary. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, polychaete worms and small fishes. Eggs deposited on sand or gravel. A long-lived and slow-growing species (Ref. 9988). Reaches 500-600 cm and maybe live up to 100 years. Sexually mature at an age of 7-9 years. Spawns at depths of 2-10 m over stony bottoms. Females produce 800,000-2,400,000 sticky dark grey eggs which adhere to the stones (Ref. 35388). Utilized fresh and frozen, an

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Sturgeons and Paddlefishes (Acipenseriformes)

Family

Sturgeons (Acipenseridae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: North and White Seas, European coasts of Atlantic, northern Mediterranean eastward to Rhodos, western and southern Black Sea, Occasionally recorded from Iceland, Morocco and Algeria. Anadromous, in most large rivers, but not recorded from Danube upriver of delta. Today restricted to Garonne drainage in France (Ref. 59043). Recent DNA studies using museum specimens revealed that this species co-exists with A. naccarii from the Adriatic Sea to the Iberian Peninsula (Ref. 52173). Several DNA sequence differences were found between individuals of the species from the Gironde River population and from the North and Baltic Seas showing that different populations of A. sturio are genetically divergent (Ref. 82476). Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna). International trade banned (CITES I, since 29.7.83; CMS Appendix II).

Range

71°N - 34°N, 25°W - 42°E

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

10 °C

Water Temperature To

18 °C

Depth From - meters

4 m

Depth To - meters

93 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; ; pH range: 7.5 - ? ; dH range: 10 - 20 demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 4 - 93 m (Ref. 51346), usually 5 - 60 m (Ref. 26160)

Trophic Level

3.51 s.e. 0.51 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

600 cm

Common Length

125 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial

Vulnerability

Very high vulnerability (88 of 100)

Resilience

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=7-20; tmax=100)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2cde;B2ab(ii,iii,v))