| Family: |
Acipenseridae (Sturgeons), subfamily: Acipenserinae |
| Max. size: |
274 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 125 kg; max. reported age: 152 years |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater; brackish; depth range 5 - 9 m, potamodromous |
| Distribution: |
North America: St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins. |
| Diagnosis: |
Single row of preanal shields. Soft area on the top of the head absent and black viscera. Large blotches present on anterior half of upper surface of snout and on back. Lower surface whitish (Ref. 37032). Anal fin origin behind dorsal fin origin; scutes on back and along side same color as skin (Ref. 86798). |
| Biology: |
Inhabits bottom of lakes and large rivers (Ref. 10294), usually in 5-9 m depth, over mud, sand, and gravel. Occasionally enters brackish water. A specimen caught in 1952 was reputed to have been 152 years old (Ref. 6866). Search for food, with the aid of the sensory ability of the barbels, by constantly moving close to the substrate. Omnivorous, virtually anything edible that enters the mouth is sucked up and consumed. The food is worked or pulled in the mouth, often partly ejected and sucked in again (Ref. 1998). Spawning sites are rocky and boulder filled areas along the outside bend of rivers (Ref. 41542). In the 1800s, it was extensively exploited for oil to fire boilers on steamboats, animal feed and fertilizer. Later is was high-valued as smoked, caviar and isinglass (Ref. 117245). In 1951, Canada, 2,000 lbs. of caviar were made from the eggs (Ref. 37032). It continous to be an important source of food for Indigenous people in North America (Ref. 117245). Threatened due to over harvesting, habitat loss and pollution (Ref. 58490). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 14 September 2019 (A2bcd) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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