The largest sturgeon fish. Sturgeon - Fish Encyclopedia

All types of sturgeon are valuable commercial fish, the population of which is rapidly declining due to regulation of river flows, hydraulic construction, land reclamation, illegal fishing and other negative factors associated with human activities. Attempts to increase their numbers in nature have so far given unsatisfactory results. For these reasons, all types of sturgeon fish are listed in the international, and some also in the Russian Red Book. In this regard, their breeding in artificial conditions (in fish factories, in artificial reservoirs, etc.) has become widespread.

Sturgeon fish species: photos and list

The order of sturgeons is widespread in the water basins of North America, Northern Asia and Europe. There are both anadromous and semi-anadromous species, as well as freshwater ones. All of them are united by a long life cycle and excellent fertility, as well as a similar appearance, diet and lifestyle. Sturgeon species of fish, whose body structure resembles an elongated spindle, have 5 rows of bony bugs. Two are located on the sides and belly, and one is located on the back. Between them were small plates and bone grains. The dorsal fin is located closer to the tail, and four antennae can be seen on the underside of the snout. The anterior ray of the pectoral fin resembles a spine, the transverse cuts of which can be used to determine the age of the individual.

In the territory former USSR live sturgeon species fish, the names and photos of which are presented below:

• beluga;
• Kaluga;
• shovelnose;
• sterlet;
• stellate sturgeon;
• Atlantic sturgeon;
• Pacific (Sakhalin) sturgeon;
• Russian sturgeon;
• Persian (South Caspian) sturgeon;
• Amur sturgeon;
• Siberian sturgeon;
• three false pathologist (large, small and Fedchenko).

The sturgeon family is divided into two subfamilies: sturgeon-like (beluga, kaluga and all sturgeons) and shovelnose-like (American shovelnose and pseudoshovelnose). All representatives of sturgeon have a cartilaginous skeleton structure, in which there are no vertebrae, and the notochord is preserved until the end of life.

Sturgeon family: types of fish and their characteristics

In addition to the main species, there is a wide variety of hybrid varieties, as they easily form hybrids by interbreeding in spawning areas. Regardless of the species, fish spawn only in rivers with fast currents and water saturated with oxygen, the bottom of which is strewn with pebbles, stones and sand. The sturgeon reproduces several times during its life (but not every year) at a temperature of 15-20 ° C, so only the spring-summer period is suitable for this.

The young of anadromous representatives (stellar sturgeon, beluga, Russian and Atlantic sturgeon, thorn) leave after emerging from the eggs into the pre-estuary spaces in the same summer along with adult individuals, but some of the fry of the thorn and Russian sturgeon can stay in the river for a year or more. The capacious yolk sac of the fry contains nutrients on which they live for the first time. After its resorption, they begin to feed independently: they first eat planktonic crustaceans (daphnia and cyclops), and then switch to gammarids, mysids, chironomid larvae and oligochaetes.

Migratory species of sturgeon are divided into winter and spring forms within each species, the degree of differentiation of which depends on the size of the river: in large water streams (for example, the Volga and Ural) both forms are clearly expressed, in smaller ones the spring form dominates, inferior in size to the winter form. The latter enters rivers to spawn from late summer and autumn, rising high, overwintering in pits, and spawning in the spring of next year. The spring race rises into the rivers in early spring, but not high, and begins to reproduce immediately upon reaching the spawning area.

Beluga

The largest representative of the sturgeon, which can reach 5 meters in length and weigh more than 1 ton, lives the longest - up to 100 years. There are known archaeological finds of medieval belugas whose size exceeded 6 m. Fishermen of that time often died when such a giant was caught in their gear.

There are Black Sea and Azov subspecies, which, like all anadromous species, also have winter and spring forms, which predominate depending on in which river the population spawns. Azov individuals reach sexual maturity earlier - females at 12-14 years, and males at 16-18. The remaining species are much later - 14-23 and 17-26 years, respectively. Beluga is the most prolific fish. The largest females lay up to 7.7 million eggs

Kaluga

It is one of the largest freshwater fish. Its length reaches 3.7 m, weight – 380 kg, and this representative of the fauna lives up to 55 years. Kaluga becomes sexually mature very late: males - at 17-18 years, females - from 18 to 22 years. The fish is extremely prolific: the number of eggs sometimes reaches 4.1 million. By the way, there are different types of sturgeon caviar: pressed and granular. So in Kaluga it reaches 4 mm in diameter. There are two forms of this giant: a fast-growing estuary (semi-anadromous form, spawning in the Amur) and a river, smaller one, forming local, slowly moving herds in the river.

This is a pronounced predator: the estuary form feeds on salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon) when they go to spawn in the Amur, but due to a decrease in their population, Kaluga has been observed in cannibalism. The river subspecies eats small bottom fish such as minnows.

Sterlet

The smallest freshwater representative of the sturgeon: reaches 1.2 m in length and up to 16 kg in weight. The sterlet has the most a large number of lateral bugs (more than 50) and fringed antennae, which distinguishes it from other sturgeons. Another feature of this fish is the variable shape of the snout, which is why two forms are distinguished - sharp-snouted and blunt-snouted. The latter grows faster, is more plump, and has greater fertility than its sharp-snouted relative. This difference is also inherent in other freshwater sturgeons - Amur and Siberian.

Males become capable of reproduction at 4-5 years, females at 4-9. The number of eggs depends on the size of the females, as in other sturgeons, and reaches a maximum of 140 thousand pieces in the Volga sterlet, the largest.

Stellate sturgeon

Like all sturgeon species, it has distinctive features: it is easily identified by its very long snout (over 60% of the head) in the shape of a sword. This is an anadromous species dominated by the spring race, reaching 2.2 m in length and weighing 80 kg. The most heat-loving among migratory species, and therefore it spawns later than others, when the water temperature is more suitable (spring run at 10-14 ° C, autumn run - 13-17 ° C). Males mature at 8-11 years, and females - from 10 to 14. The Azov sturgeon population grows faster and matures earlier. The most prolific fish is the Ural fish. She lays up to 743,000 eggs.

Having finished spawning, it immediately, without stopping in the river, swims into the sea, where it eats nereis and crustaceans. It occupies first place in the sturgeon fishery. The main amount of stellate sturgeon is mined in the Urals.

Atlantic sturgeon

This is a large anadromous sturgeon, reaching 3 m in length and weighing more than 200 kg. It has massive bugs on its body with a radially striated surface, and pectoral fin there is a powerful bone beam. Unfortunately, the once large population today numbers about 1 thousand individuals that live in the Black Sea basin.

Males reach reproductive age at 7-9 years, and females - from 8 to 14. Fertility is estimated at 5.7 million eggs. Without stopping after spawning, the fish quickly goes to the sea, where its main diet is anchovy. All types of sturgeon fish are of commercial value.

Russian sturgeon

Among sturgeons, Russian occupies the leading place in terms of numbers. Distinctive features it has a short, blunt snout and antennae without fringes, sitting closer to the edge. The fish grows up to 2.3 m and weighs 100 kg. It has complexly differentiated varieties of spring and winter forms that go to spawn in different periods. They have different sizes, growth rates, and duration of stay in fresh water.

Caspian representatives of the Russian sturgeon reach a sexually mature state at 12-13 years old - males, and at 15-16 - females. Azov animals mature earlier - at 8-11 and 11-15 years, respectively. Like other sturgeon species, the Russian is very prolific: one female can produce up to 880 thousand eggs. The main part of the fry goes to sea, and some may remain in the river for 1-2 years. The favorite food of this species is shellfish. The fish also feeds on shrimp, crabs, and nereis.

Sturgeons belong to the cartilaginous ganoids, which have retained the ancient features of their structure (the skull and most of the skeleton are cartilaginous). These are anadromous, semi-anadromous and freshwater fish inhabiting the waters of the planet’s northern hemisphere (Europe, northern part Asia, North America). These are mainly long-lived and late-maturing fish. Spawning is not annual.

In terms of the rate of accumulation of body weight, sturgeon are among the fastest growing fish. Sturgeon are a valuable object of pasture, pond, cage and industrial fish farming both in Russia and abroad (Germany, Hungary, Japan, France, USA, etc.).

Russian sturgeon(Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Bg.) is a large migratory fish with a wide range. Lives in the Caspian and Azov-Black Sea basins. As a result of the construction of hydroelectric power stations, the sturgeon's habitat has now been reduced, and its stocks are mainly maintained through fish farming activities. The main spawning rivers are the Volga, Ural, Dnieper and Don with their tributaries.

The body of the Russian sturgeon is elongated and spindle-shaped. The back is grayish-black, the sides are grayish-brown, and the belly is white. The snout with antennae is short and blunt, the mouth is wide with a rudimentary lower lip. Dorsal bugs - 8-18, lateral bugs - 24-50, ventral bugs - 6-13.

The Russian sturgeon is characterized by a complex intraspecific structure. It has spring and winter forms, and within each of them there are smaller groups that differ in the timing of migration to rivers, the size of fish, the duration of stay in fresh water, etc. Along with this, the Russian sturgeon is capable of forming residential forms that spend their entire lives in fresh water.

Most male Russian sturgeon become sexually mature at the age of 11-13 years, females at 12-16 years. In the Azov Sea basin, sturgeon usually mature 2 years earlier than other populations. The fertility of Russian sturgeon varies within very wide limits - from 50 thousand to 1165 thousand eggs. IN last years information has appeared about a decrease in the fertility range of Russian sturgeon (70-800 thousand eggs).

The spawning migration of Russian sturgeon extends from late March - early April to the end of November with a maximum in July. Fish that migrate to the river later remain in it for the winter. Spawning of spring sturgeon occurs in mid-May - early June at water temperatures from 8 to 15 ° C in river sections with gravel or rocky soils at a depth of 4 to 25 m. Winter sturgeon enters rivers with immature reproductive products and spawns only the next year . The average size spawning males - 132 cm and females - 150 cm, average weight of individuals - 15-20 kg. The maximum dimensions of the Russian sturgeon are 236 cm and body weight is 115 kg.

The embryonic period at a water temperature of 16-18°C lasts from 8 to 10 days. The hatched larvae have a length of 10-12 mm, a body weight of 6-9 mg and short time are carried by the current from the spawning grounds into the sea. After breeding, adult fish also quickly migrate to sea pastures. Having reached a length of just over 20 mm, Russian sturgeon fry switch to active nutrition: at first their food mainly consists of small plankton, later - from small representatives of benthic fauna (gammarids, mysids, amphipods, Nereis, etc.). Adult fish switch to feeding on shellfish and fish.

When breeding Russian sturgeon in artificial conditions, its domesticated form is used or producers are caught during spawning migration. Juveniles very quickly get used to artificial food and feel good in a confined space.

Siberian sturgeon(Acipenser baerii Br.) is distributed over a vast territory from the Ob in the west to Kolyma in the east, as well as in the Lake Baikal basin. In the Ob and Yenisei basins it forms a semi-anadromous form, in the Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma local residential forms live, and in Baikal and Zaisan - lake-river forms. The largest population of Siberian sturgeon formerly lived in the Ob-Irtysh basin. However, as a result of intensive economic development of this basin, its numbers decreased, which led to a catastrophic state of the population. Currently, the Ob population of Siberian sturgeon is included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

The Siberian sturgeon is close to the Russian sturgeon, from which it differs in its fan-shaped gill rakers. There are 10-19 dorsal bugs, 32-59 lateral bugs (usually 42-47), 7-16 ventral bugs. The color of the back is variable - from light gray to dark brown, the belly is light or light yellow. The shape and length of the snout varies greatly.

According to G.V. Nikolsky, the Siberian sturgeon reaches a maximum size of 2 m with a body weight of about 200 kg. It grows slowly and becomes sexually mature at the age of: males - 17-18 years, females - 19-20 years. The Lena sturgeon reaches sexual maturity at the age of 11-12 years. Males usually mature 1-2 years earlier than females. Depending on the habitat, the fertility of the Siberian sturgeon ranges from 50 thousand to 1400 thousand eggs. Fish spawn once every few years.

The conditions and length of the rivers in which the Siberian sturgeon lives determine the time of its spawning. Sturgeon breed from the end of May to the end of July at water temperatures from 9 to 21°C. For example, sturgeon spawning in the Ob occurs at the end of May - June at a water temperature of 12-18°C. In the Yenisei it spawns in June-July at water temperatures from 16 to 21°C. The spawning grounds of the Siberian sturgeon are located in areas of rocky-gravel or gravel-sand bottom with a current speed of about 1.4 m/s.

The duration of the embryonic period at a water temperature of 13-14.5°C lasts 10-17 days. The hatched larvae are 10-13 mm long and have a body weight of 8-11 mg. On the 5-7th day after hatching from the eggs, the juveniles switch to mixed, and after 15 days - to pure external power supply. Fry after switching to active feeding for a long time stay in fresh water. The food consists of caddisfly larvae, mayflies, and midges. The Siberian sturgeon, being mainly a benthophage, often does not show selectivity in feeding, and when there is a lack of food, it can switch to carnivorous feeding. In large individuals, fish (chebak, burbot, ruffe) are often found in the digestive tract.

The Lena population of Siberian sturgeon is one of the most developed in terms of fish farming. Over the past 20 years, it has been intensively used in pasture, cage and industrial fish farming. Due to its adaptive plasticity, first noted by N.L. Gerbilsky, the Lena sturgeon became the object of introduction into many water bodies of the European part of the Russian Federation.

Sterlet(Acipenser rutkenus L.) is the only representative of sturgeon that permanently lives in fresh waters. The range of sterlet is quite wide. It includes the rivers of the Azov-Black Sea, Caspian, White, Barents and Kara basins. Found in Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga. The eastern border of the sterlet's range is the Yenisei River. This is a common bottom fish that lives in deep sections of rivers. In winter it lies in pits.

There are two known geographical races of sterlet - European and Siberian. They differ from each other in a number of biological parameters.

Sterlet differs from other sturgeon fish by its elongated narrow snout, on which long fringed antennae are located. The mouth is small, the lower lip is interrupted. The color of its back varies from dark gray to grayish-brown, and its belly is white. There are 11-18 dorsal bugs, 10-20 abdominal bugs.

The sterlet becomes sexually mature at the age of 4-7 years. Moreover, Siberian sterlet matures 1-2 years later. Like other sturgeons, males become sexually mature 1-2 years earlier than females. The fertility of sterlet fluctuates around 100 thousand eggs. The caviar is small, 2-3 mm in diameter. Depending on the length of the river and the location of the spawning grounds, sterlet breeds from April to June at a water temperature of 7-15°C. Spawning grounds are located at a depth of 7 to 15 m on pebble-sandy soils. Each individual spawns after 2-3 years.

The duration of embryogenesis, as in other fish species, depends on water temperature and, under favorable conditions, ranges from 4-9 days. The hatched larvae are small in size (4-6 mm) and have very small reserves of nutrients ( total weight larvae in artificial conditions - 5-7 mg). The larvae usually stay in the area of ​​spawning grounds, and at the juvenile stage they go into river beds. Their food at this time consists of small insect larvae. After moving into the rivers, juvenile sterlet and then adult fish feed on aquatic insect larvae, small mollusks and eggs of other fish.

Being the smallest representative of the sturgeon, the sterlet is no different high speed growth. Its maximum dimensions are 125 cm, body weight is up to 16 kg. In commercial catches, the size of sterlet does not exceed 100 cm, and body weight ranges from 6.0-6.5 kg.

In fish farming, domesticated forms of sterlet and its industrial hybrids with beluga and sturgeon are most often used. Hybrids that are characterized by fairly intensive growth compared to the original forms are especially promising for fish farming purposes. Hybrid breeds of sterlet with beluga (bester) and sturgeon (oster) are known. The growth rate of oster in comparison with beluga and sterlet can be judged from the results obtained at fish farms in Karelia. Two-year-olds raised during one growing season under similar conditions had the following body weight: sterlet - 900 g, sturgeon - 1290 g and sturgeon - 1500 g. Thus, the latter is a promising object for pond and cage fish farming.

Stellate sturgeon(Acipenser stellatus Pall.) is distributed in the basins of the Caspian, Azov, Black and, less commonly, Adriatic seas. It differs from other species of the sturgeon genus by its elongated (up to 60% of the head length) and flattened snout. This is a typical migratory fish with a pronounced division into spring and winter forms. In terms of numbers, the spring form significantly exceeds the winter form.

A characteristic species feature of the stellate sturgeon is its elongated and flattened snout, which makes up more than 60% of the length of the head, and short antennae without fringe. The back is usually blackish-brown, the sides are light, and the belly is white. There are 9-16 dorsal bugs, 26-43 lateral bugs, 9-14 ventral bugs. The size of female sturgeon varies from 130 to 150 cm and males - from 120 to 150 cm. The body weight of females is 11-13 kg, males - 6-8 kg.

Depending on its habitat, the stellate sturgeon reaches maturity at different ages. Typically, male stellate sturgeon become sexually mature at the age of 7-12 years, and females - 9-17 years. Fecundity also varies quite significantly. Usually in different populations it ranges from 48 thousand to 950 thousand, on average about 200 thousand eggs. The Ural population of stellate sturgeon is the most prolific. Spawning migration to rivers begins later than for other sturgeons. In the rivers of the Caspian basin, the first individuals usually appear in April, then spawning migration continues until December. Spawning begins in May and continues until August, at a water temperature of 12-26°C. The spawning grounds of stellate sturgeon in rivers are located somewhat lower than the spawning grounds of beluga and Russian sturgeon on pebble-sandy soils.

Embryogenesis in stellate sturgeon lasts at a temperature of 16°C for about 130 hours, and at a temperature of 23°C - 67 hours. The hatched larvae have a body weight of 20-25 mg, with a length of 9-11 mm. Endogenous feeding lasts 6-8 days (depending on water temperature). After spawning, stellate sturgeon spawners and developing juveniles do not linger in the spawning areas, but migrate to coastal areas of the sea. The main food of the stellate sturgeon are amphipods, oligochaetes, mysids and small fish. In the Caspian Sea the main food source is stellate sturgeon polychaete worms Nereis.

In terms of growth rate and nutritional qualities, stellate sturgeon is close to Russian sturgeon and can be an excellent object for commercial fish farming.

(Huso huso L.) is one of the largest and longest-living anadromous fish. Its range covers the basins of the Caspian, Black, Azov and Adriatic seas. This is one of the largest anadromous sturgeon fish, reaching a length of more than 5 m and a body weight of more than 1 ton. The average fishing weight of females is 90-120 kg, males - 60-90 kg.

The beluga has a massive, thick body (huso in Latin means “pig”). The mouth is semi-moon shaped and large. The back and sides are grayish-dark, the belly is white. There are 9-17 dorsal bugs, 37-53 lateral bugs, 7-14 ventral bugs.

Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 16 (Don, Volga) to 30 (Kura) years. Males mature 3-5 years earlier. Spawning is not annual. Fertility ranges from 500 thousand to 5.0 million eggs, depending on the size of the fish. The average fertility of running females is 715 thousand eggs. Spawning migration to rivers usually begins in March (still during the ice-covered period), and the first peak continues until mid-May. The second peak was noted in late summer - early autumn. Producers migrating in the spring spawn in the same year (spring form), while those that migrate in the summer and autumn spawn only the next year (winter form). Beluga spawns in April-May at a water temperature of 6-7°C at a depth of 4 to 15 m, if available fast current. The soils of the spawning grounds are represented by rocky ridges and pebble placers.

The duration of the embryonic period at a water temperature of 11-12°C is on average about 8 days. Juveniles and adult fish hatching from eggs do not stay in the river after spawning and roll into the sea.

Beluga juveniles natural conditions feeds on invertebrates - mysids, gammarids, oligochaetes. Adult fish become predators and feed mainly on pike perch, carp, bream, sprat, as well as juveniles - their own and other representatives of sturgeon.

Beluga breeders are used in sturgeon hatcheries for artificial reproduction. The technology for obtaining reproductive products, insemination and incubation of eggs, and raising young fish has been developed. Beluga was the original form in the production of an industrial hybrid (beluga x sterlet), called “bester”.

Bester (Acipenser nikoljukini). Three breeds of bester have been bred and registered in Russia: bester Burtsevsky, bester Aksaysky and bester Vnirovsky. All these breeds were first obtained by Professor N.I. Nikolyukin at the Teplovsky fish hatchery in the Saratov region and have received wide recognition both in Russia and in other countries (Poland, Latvia, Italy, Japan, Hungary, USA, China, Korea, etc. ).

Bester Burtsevsky(BS) - an intergeneric hybrid from the crossing of a female beluga and a male sterlet, first obtained in 1952. In appearance it is very similar to a sterlet. Sexual maturity occurs in males at the age of 4 years, in females - at 8 years. Fertility - 120 thousand eggs. Fingerlings reach a weight of 100 g, two-year-olds - 700 g, three-year-olds - 1500 g.

This hybrid is an object of commercial fish farming, the final product of which is considered to be fish with a body weight above 1 kg. Along with this, it is used to produce edible black caviar, which is in great demand in the market.

Bester Aksaisky(SBS), or sterlet bester, is an intergeneric return hybrid from crossing a female sterlet with a male bester. It was first received in 1958. In 1969 and 1973. returnable hybrids “sterlet x bester” were also obtained at the Aksai fish farm Rostov region. In appearance it resembles a sterlet, but is larger in size and has greater body mass. Characterized by early puberty compared to the original forms. Females reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years, males at the age of 2 years. Average fecundity is 40 thousand eggs. Fingerlings reach a weight of 60 g, two-year-olds - 500 g and three-year-olds - 1000 g.

Bester Vnirovsky(BBS), or beluga bester, is an intergeneric return hybrid from crossing a female beluga with a male bester, first obtained in 1958. The second time the crossing was carried out in 1965 at the Rogozh sturgeon factory in the Rostov region. Since 1965, work on its selection has been carried out at the Aksai fish farm in the Rostov region.

According to their own external signs Bester Vnirovsky approaches the beluga. It is larger than the bester and has a greater body mass. Reaches sexual maturity at the age of 8 (males) and 14 (females) years. The fertility of females is 2.5 times higher than that of bester and almost 6 times higher than that of bester sterlet; on average it is 300 thousand eggs. It is more demanding on the quality of feed and growing conditions.

Oster created by crossing female Lena sturgeon with male sterlet. According to the materials available in the literature, the oster is characterized by a good growth rate, is resistant to changes (not sharp) in temperature, and effectively consumes both natural food and pelleted feed.

The growth rate of oster in the northern region can be judged from the materials we received at the Kedrozersky fish hatchery. Before rearing, oster fingerlings had a body weight of 19.4 g and a length of 15 cm. At the end of the growing season, the average body weight of fish was 129 g and a length of 34 cm. After the second growing season, it was 672 g and a length of 48 cm. Body weight accumulates most intensively on second year of life. Oster was grown on standard (Rehuraisio, Coppela) and special wet mixtures of similar chemical composition. The feed ratio ranged from 1.1-1.4 and was close to the same indicator for Lena sturgeon (1.2-1.5).

Oster is not picky about existing food of artificial origin, although it prefers natural food organisms.

L. P. RYZHKOV, T. Y. KUCHKO, I. M. DZYUBUK. Basics of fish farming

Sturgeon species of fish are distinguished by the fact that they live in salty, sea ​​water, and go to spawn in rivers with fresh water or to other bodies of water. At the same time, it should be noted that sturgeons have representatives of small sizes, from 30 to 100 cm in length and weighing from half a kilogram to 5 kg, as well as representatives that grow up to 10 meters in length, weighing about 3 tons. Catching sturgeon species in our time is a serious fishery, reaching large volumes. Because of this, the population of these fish species is constantly decreasing, and some of the species are prohibited from being caught at all. Sturgeon are valued for their tasty and valuable meat, as well as caviar.

The sturgeon family is distinguished by its elongated body shape, on which there are 5 rows of hard spines made of bone tissue. Two rows are located on the belly, two on the sides and one row on the back, and in between them there are bone protective plates.

The sturgeon is characterized by a cone-shaped, somewhat elongated snout, shaped like a shovel. On the lower side is the mouth, with fleshy lips and four mustaches. The structure of the jaw is distinguished by a retractable shape, on which there are no teeth.

The pectoral fin is distinguished by a “spine” shape with a thickening, and the dorsal fin is slightly shifted back. The swim bladder is connected to the esophagus and is located at the bottom of the spine. The fish skeleton is distinguished by a cartilaginous, invertebrate structure in the form of a notochord. The membranes of the 4 gills are connected in the throat area. In addition, there are 2 more accessory gills.

Almost all species of sturgeon, before the spawning process, move to shallow depths of freshwater reservoirs. Sturgeon are quite prolific, since adult individuals are capable of laying up to 1 million eggs. Spawning mainly occurs in the spring. Some species of sturgeon not only spawn in fresh waters, but quite often wait out the winter in them. Sturgeons prefer a bottom-dwelling lifestyle, feeding on worms, small fish, insects, and mollusks.

Sturgeon species of fish, or rather about 20 species, are long-lived because they can live up to 100 years, although this only applies to one species. The lifespan of other species does not exceed 60 years. The period of sexual maturity in many species occurs at different periods, depending on living conditions and the availability of food supply. Some species begin to spawn at 15 years of age. Wherein:

• Females mature at the age of 10-12 years.
• Males are ready for fertilization starting at 7 years of age.

Sturgeon are a species of fish that grow quickly and gain weight quickly. In the Don and Dnieper rivers, sturgeon mature somewhat faster than representatives living in the Volga. This is not surprising, since the climate on the Volga is somewhat colder.

Only sterlet lays eggs every year, while other species do not differ in this feature and can spawn within a year or even two. They spawn in the spring and summer in fresh rivers characterized by rapid currents. Sturgeon caviar is highly sticky, therefore, it is firmly held on pebbles and other rocks.

Sturgeon fry, when born, are in the yolk sac, which is what they feed on in the first days, until this sac dissolves. After this, they begin to independently search for food. Sometimes they linger in the places where they were born, but mostly they roll into the sea. The fry's diet consists of zooplankton; after a certain period, having matured a little, their diet consists of:

• From mysids.
• From chironomids.
• From the Gammarids.

But as for beluga fry, they are born without a yolk bladder and immediately begin to independently look for food for themselves. Almost until sexual maturity, sturgeons develop in salty sea water. There are 2 varieties of sturgeon: winter and spring. The latter species enter the rivers in the spring, before the start of spawning, and the first species enters the rivers in the fall, overwinter in these reservoirs and lay eggs in the spring.

Classification of sturgeon fish species

There are 2 types of the sturgeon family:

• Skafirinidae.
• Sturgeon.

Previously, there were more than 20 species of fish that were found in the waters of America, Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, in our time the sturgeon population has a slightly smaller number of species, no more than 20.

List of sturgeon fish species with photos and names

Sturgeon occupy a special niche in fisheries. Nowadays, it is worth paying attention to some representatives of this family that are of commercial interest. The following types are considered the most popular and in demand.

This is the most ancient representative of the sturgeon family, and also the largest. Beluga can live about 100 years, growing up to 10 meters in length and gaining a weight of 3 tons. The body of the beluga is similar to a torpedo and is protected by 5 rows of protective plates. It is white below and gray above. The mouth is located at the bottom of the head and has a sickle shape. There are also whiskers that help the fish navigate in space and look for food. Females are larger in size compared to males. They lay eggs once every 2-3 years. This is a predatory fish whose diet consists of gobies, anchovies, roach, herring and other fish.

It belongs to the freshwater fish of the beluga genus and can grow up to 5 and a half meters in length and gain weight up to 1 ton. Kaluga has a relatively large mouth. There are fast-growing, estuary and migratory kaluga. To a greater extent, this fish is found in the basins of rivers such as the Amur, Sungari, Shilka and Arguni.

This fish is distinguished by a spindle-shaped body that ends in a blunt snout. There are mustaches at the ends of the mouth. The Russian sturgeon has a white belly, gray-brown sides, and a dark gray back. It can grow up to 3 and a half meters in length and weigh up to 120 kg. Can live almost 60 years. IN natural environment habitat, this fish can create crosses with beluga, sterlet, stellate sturgeon and thorn. In fact, this happens very rarely, but hybrids still come across. Habitat: Black Sea, Caspian and Azov Seas.

It grows up to one and a half meters in length and gains weight up to 4.5 kg. Has a flat and pretty a long tail with bony fins. It is distinguished by a large swim bladder and small eyes. Mainly found in the Amu Darya River basin.

The body of this fish contains numerous bony plates and fulcra. There are no teeth, but the mouth is retractable, and in front of it there are 4 antennae. This fish inhabits the basins of rivers such as the Ob, Yenisei, Kolyma and Lena. The Siberian sturgeon lives for almost 50 years, growing up to 3 and a half meters in length and gaining a weight of about 150 kg. Spawns in July. The diet includes organisms living at the bottom of reservoirs: mollusks, chiromid larvae and polychaete worms. In other words, this fish leads a bottom-dwelling lifestyle.

It has a classic appearance typical for sturgeon. There are 5 rows of bone spikes on the body. Habitats: the basins of the Aral, Caspian, Azov and Black seas.

The habitat is common with such a representative of the sturgeon family as thorn. At the same time, a distinction is made between spring and winter stellate sturgeon. Characteristic Features body structures are: poorly developed lower jaw, convex forehead, a long nose, smooth and thin mustache. Almost the entire body is covered with protective bone plates. The belly of the sturgeon is white, and the sides and back are blue-black. It can grow up to 6 meters in length and weigh about 60 kg.

This is the smallest representative of this family, as it grows no more than 120 cm in length and weighs 20 kg. The fish is distinguished by the presence of long whiskers that reach the mouth and a narrow but elongated nose. At the same time, the lower lip is divided into 2 parts, and on the sides the body is covered with solid scutes. The same shields protect the fish from the back. Depending on the habitat, the sterlet may differ different colors, although its main coloring is a yellow-white belly and a gray-brown back. All fins have gray shade. There are sharp-nosed and blunt-nosed sterlet. Habitat: northern regions of Siberia.

It has long been believed that sturgeon species are a delicious fish, distinguished by special taste characteristics. It is sold fresh, live, frozen, smoked and chilled. Sturgeon serve as the starting product for the preparation of balyk and various canned foods. The sale of sturgeon in salted form is prohibited, since the pathogenic anaerobe botulinus, which is a source of acute poisoning, was found in sturgeon meat.

In the old days, only sturgeon species of fish, such as beluga, sterlet, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon, were classified as red fish. Moreover, they called it red not because it had a pink tint of meat, but because of its beautiful taste qualities and very healthy caviar. Nowadays, the status of red fish is more assigned to salmon species. Therefore, salmon, pink salmon and chum salmon are also called red fish. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in our time there are much more salmon left compared to sturgeon.

Sturgeon have their own characteristic commercial and culinary classification, depending on their habitat. The first group includes sturgeon species that are found in the Black and Caspian Seas. The first category includes: beluga, sterlet, thorn, sturgeon and stellate sturgeon. The second category includes salmon, such as trout, pink salmon or chum salmon. The latter group includes white-fleshed salmon such as coho salmon, white fish, nelma and taimen.

Red fish is valued for a large assortment nutrients found in meat. These include vitamins A, B, E, PP and D, as well as minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, calcium, fluorine and iodine. Moreover, this list is not complete. But the most important advantage is the presence of fatty acids, such as Omega-3, in the meat of this fish. Thanks to the presence of this acid, the functioning of the central nervous system improves, immunity increases, memory improves, etc.

Scientists have proven that the category of people who regularly consume red fish are less susceptible to depression, and their risks of hypertension or cancer are reduced by 3 times. Therefore, in our time, a ban on commercial fishing has been imposed on some species of both sturgeon and salmon. Their fishing is permitted only under special licenses. This also applies to amateur fishing. Severe fines are imposed for unauthorized fishing. Unfortunately, these measures do not stop poachers.

Beluga (Huso huso) Description: Beluga (Huso huso) is the largest fish found in fresh waters, as in some cases it reaches a length of several meters and a weight of up to 1120, and in former times more than 1600 kg. In addition to its size, Beluga (Huso huso) is easily distinguished from all other sturgeon fish by its thick cylindrical body and short […]

Kaluga (lat. Huso dauricus) is a freshwater fish of the beluga genus, the sturgeon family. Length up to 5.6 m, weighs up to 1 ton. Mouth large, semi-lunar. Kaluga is widespread in the Amur basin, found in Arguni and Shilka, and in the Sungari. It does not go out to sea beyond the Amur Estuary. There are anadromous, estuary, fast-growing kaluga that rises to spawn in the Amur from the estuary, […]

Shovelnoss (lat. Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus) - river fish weighing up to 2-3, rarely up to 4.4 kg and up to 60-90 cm long, rarely up to 130 cm; characterized by a very long, flattened caudal peduncle, covered like a shell with bony plates; the tail filament, in contrast to the pseudopathophos, is absent or small; the swim bladder is large, the eyes are small. Spreading. Amu Darya and its tributaries from Fayzabad-kala […]

Sturgeon (lat. Acipenser) is a genus of fish of the sturgeon family. Freshwater and anadromous forms. Body length - up to 3 m; weigh up to 200 kg (Baltic sturgeon). There are 16-18 species, some of which are listed in the Red Book. Contents [remove] Genus Acipenser The genus Acipenser is characterized by the following signs: longitudinal rows of bony scutes do not merge with each other on the tail; there are splash holes, [...]

Sterlet is a fish of the sturgeon family. Body length up to 125 cm, weighs up to 16 kg (usually less). Among other sturgeons, it is distinguished by the earliest onset of sexual maturity: males spawn for the first time at the age of 4-5 years, females - 7-8 years. Fertility is 4-140 thousand eggs. Spawns in May, usually in the beds of upper rivers. The eggs are sticky and are deposited on rocky and pebble soil. She […]