# 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. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Freshwater, Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Atlantic Sturgeon, Beluga Sturgeon, Siberian Sturgeon, Sturgeon Fish, White Sturgeon ![Sturgeon](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426591/objects/6444.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Acipenseriformes - **Family:** Acipenseridae ## 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 - **Armored Skin:** Sturgeon has five rows of bony plates (scutes) that help protect them against predators, like a natural knight's armor. - **Bottom Sensor:** Sturgeon can use four whisker-like barbels near its mouth to feel for hidden food on murky riverbeds and lake bottoms. - **Suction Mouth:** Sturgeon has a protrusible, toothless mouth that works like a vacuum, sucking up small prey with powerful suction. - **Ancient Survivor:** 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 - **Maximum 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Valued for their meat and eggs (caviar) by people. - **Eats:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low When near water where sturgeons live, always stay safe and never try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sturgeon? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Sturgeon? 100-550 cm ### How much does Sturgeon weigh? 10-1500 kg ### How long does Sturgeon live? 50-150 years ### What does Sturgeon eat? Sturgeon are bottom-feeders, slurping up small creatures like insects, worms, and tiny fish from the riverbed. ### How fast can Sturgeon swim? 20 km/h ### Where is Sturgeon usually found? Freshwater, Coastal areas ### How does Sturgeon hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Shedd Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shedd-aquarium) — Illinois, US · Aquarium - [Toledo Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/toledo-zoo) — Ohio, US · Zoo - [Belle Isle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belle-isle-aquarium) — US · Zoo - [Aquarium of Niagara](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/aquarium-of-niagara) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Edenton National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/edenton-national-fish-hatchery) — North Carolina, US · Zoo - [Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/natchitoches-national-fish-hatchery-louisiana) — Louisiana, US · Zoo [View all places to see Sturgeon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sturgeon) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Sturgeon: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sturgeon)