| European sea sturgeon | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acipenseriformes |
| Family: | Acipenseridae |
| Genus: | Acipenser |
| Species: | A. sturio |
| Binomial name | |
| Acipenser sturio Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
The European sea sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), also known as the Atlantic sturgeon, Baltic sturgeon or common sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon found on most coasts of Europe. It is currently a critically endangered species.[1]
The wedge-shaped head of this sturgeon ends in a long point. There are many sensitive barbels on the facial area. The dorsal fins are located very far back on the body. Five longitudinal lines of large osseous plates are found on the body of the fish. The belly is yellow and the back is brownish-grey.
This sturgeon can reach 6 m (20 ft) and 400 kg (880 lb) in weight, but a more common length is 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in).[2] They can reach an age of 100 years,[2] and have a late sexual maturity (12 to 14 years for the males and 16 to 18 years for the females).
They are found on the coasts of Europe, except the Black Sea and have even been known to cross the Atlantic Ocean to the coasts of North America. Like many other sturgeons, they spawn in the rivers off the coast. Despite their estimated range of distribution, they have become so rare that they only breed in the Garonne river basin in France.
Also like other sturgeons, they eat shells and crustaceans which they find with their barbels.
At the beginning of the 19th century, these fish were used extensively to produce caviar, but have been a protected species in Europe since 1982.
References [edit]
- ^ a b Gesner, J., Williot, P., Rochard, E., Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2010). "Acipenser sturio". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2005). "Acipenser sturio" in FishBase. 10 2005 version.
- "Acipenser sturio". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 11 March 2006.
- Burnie, David, ed. (2001), "European sturgeon", Animal, Dorling Kindersly, p. 481
External links [edit]
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