LAKE STURGEON Acipenser fulvescens (Rafinesque. 1817) 



Order: ACIPENSERIFORMES Family: ACIPENSERIDAE 



Significance : Once a very abundant species in the shallow waters of the Great Lakes . 

 Records are incomplete but a commercial catch of over 8.5 million pounds was recorded 

 in 1885 . It is rare in either commercial or sport fisheries in recent years . 



Distinguishing characteristic : Largest fish of the Great Lakes, sometimes exceeding 

 7 feet and 300 pounds . The sturgeon is sometimes called a living fossil as they are 

 still much like their ancestors of the upper Cretaceous period that were abundant 

 over 100 million years ago. 



Present distribution : Throughout most of its former range in greatly reduced numbers . 



Former distribution : Once abundant in the Great Lake drainage; in the Red River, 

 Saskatchewan River and southern Hudson Bay tributaries of Canada; and west of the 

 Appalachian Mountains to the Tennessee River of Alabama, to Missouri, to eastern 

 Nebraska, to northern Kansas. 



Status : Very uncommon. 



Estimated numbers : U.S. Annual catch from Great Lakes varies from 1,000 to 3,000 

 pounds . 



Fecundity : Sturgeon spawn in shallow waters of lakes and streams . The number of eggs 

 varies greatly with the size of the fish--egg counts range from 49,835 to 667,472 for fish 

 from 11 to 112 pounds, respectively. Sturgeon reach maturity at about 20 years and 

 females do not spawn every year. 



Reasons for decline : Although early fishermen took large numbers of sturgeon for sale, 

 great numbers were also caught and destroyed because they damaged gear fished for 

 other species. They were easy to catch, and as a consequence of their slow growth and 

 late maturity they were reduced to insignificance. 



Protective measures already taken : Lake sturgeon are completely protected in some 

 areas and partly protected in others by size limits that permit them to reach maturity. 

 Their numbers seem to have increased under protection. 



Measures proposed : The protection of lake sturgeon should be reviewed periodically 

 to make certain that it is adequate in various sections of its range, and should be 

 uniform in the same waters where more than one regulatory agency is involved. 



Number in captivity : No data . 



Culture potential in captivity : Have been hatched and raised for a short period in 

 hatcheries . 



