ExploreFish

Sturgeon

Acipenseridae

Sturgeons are ancient fish with long bodies and bony plates instead of scales. They live in rivers and oceans and are known for their caviar, which is a fancy food made from their eggs.

Habitat: Freshwater, Coastal areas

Appearance

The Sturgeon is a large fish with an elongated body, uniquely covered in five rows of bony plates called scutes instead of scales. It has a distinctive flattened, shovel-like snout with four sensitive barbels beneath, used for sensing food. Its color ranges from grey to olive-brown.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassActinopterygiiOrderAcipenseriformesFamilyAcipenseridae

Sturgeon

Interesting facts

Instead of teeth, sturgeon use a powerful suction mouth to vacuum up tasty bits.

Many sturgeon travel huge distances between salty ocean and fresh river waters.

Sturgeon breathe with gills but can sometimes leap clear out of the water!

These fish can live over a hundred years, making them one of the longest-living fish!

Special abilities

Sturgeon has five rows of bony plates (scutes) that help protect them against predators, like a natural knight's armor.

Sturgeon can use four whisker-like barbels near its mouth to feel for hidden food on murky riverbeds and lake bottoms.

Sturgeon has a protrusible, toothless mouth that works like a vacuum, sucking up small prey with powerful suction.

Sturgeon has maintained its unique body plan for millions of years, showing incredible adaptability to changing environments.

Measurements & details

Length: 100-550 cm
Weight: 10-1500 kg
Lifespan: 50-150 years
Swim Speed: 20 km/h
Max Depth: 200 m
Water Type: Brackish

Diet & Feeding

Sturgeon are bottom-feeders, slurping up small creatures like insects, worms, and tiny fish from the riverbed.

Age differences: Juveniles eat more insects and larvae; adults eat larger prey like fish and mollusks.

Primary Foods

Aquatic insects
Small fish
Crustaceans
Worms
Mollusks

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Human

Homo sapiens

Valued for their meat and eggs (caviar) by people.

eats

Northern Pike

Esox lucius

Larger pike can prey on young sturgeon in freshwater.

eats

Bloodworm

Chironomus plumosus

Sturgeon forage for these midge larvae on river bottoms.

eats

Threespine stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus

Small fish like sticklebacks are part of the sturgeon's diet.

Traits

Wildlife

Step into the incredible world of wild animals and plants living freely in nature. From tiny insects to towering trees, it's all part of the wild wonders around us!

Piscivorous

Discover amazing animals that love to eat fish! They're like expert underwater hunters, always on the lookout for a tasty meal from the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Ancient Lineage

These fascinating organisms carry echoes of the deep past, with ancestors that have roamed the Earth for an incredible span of time. They are living links to ancient worlds!

Longevous

Marvel at organisms that have an incredible capacity to live for a very, very long time, sometimes spanning centuries or even millennia. They are the elders of the natural world!

Coastal

Discover life found along the edges where land meets the sea! These habitats are always changing with the tides and waves, offering unique environments.