Sturgeon Posting

Amazing Acipenseridae

The sturgeon is a fish belonging to the genus Acipenseridae. Sturgeon are an ancient fish, with a fossil record dating back to the Late Cretaceous period. They are long-lived, with some rare individuals reaching over one hundred years of age. Some species of sturgeon grow less that 3 feet long while others reach staggering lengths of over 20 feet from tail to tip. Sturgeons are covered in five rows of bony scales called scutes. This specialized armor protects sturgeon from predators. They also have special protrusible mouths - sturgeon can quickly extend their mouths like a straw, creating a vacuum that sucks in hapless crustaceans, worms, small fish, plant matter, and anything else unlucky enough to be caught in its pull. The sturgeon has been an important fish in cultures across the world. Many Indigenous American peoples, such as the Anishinaabe, once relied on sturgeon as a seasonal food staple and work today to preserve its natural habitat. The sturgeon has also been ubiquitous in many Slavic countries as a staple food fish and cultural icon. Sturgeons are sensitive to pollution and changes in water temperature. Dams block the routes to their ancestral spawning grounds. Their roe is also coveted by many as the main ingredient of caviar, a delicacy food often served with bread or lemon wedges. All of these factors combine to create a very perilous world for the sturgeon, which is currently the most endangered species of any on Earth with every subspecies facing some level of threat.

Sturgeon Posting

Amazing Acipenseridae

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