STURGEON FAMILY (Acipenseridae) 

 ATLANTIC STURGEON 



Acipenser oxyrhynchus Mitchill 



The Atlantic sturgeon is covered by bony plates in the head region 

 and has five rows of bony shields or scutes extending the length of the 

 body. The snout is flattened and elongated. The tail is asymmetrical 

 with the dorsal lobe of the caudal fin being much larger and containing 

 the up-turned vertebral column. General range is both sides of the North 

 Atlantic from north of the St. Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico 

 along the American coast. 



In the past sturgeon were reported from nearly all of our coastal 

 rivers and streams. Now the present scarcity of these fish makes capture 

 in commercial fisheries an infrequent occurrence. Lengths of up to 18 

 feet have been reported. Mr. Sidney Johnson of Winterport was kind 

 enough within the last year to save a four-pound sturgeon for the Uni- 

 versity of Maine teaching collection. Mr. Johnson fishes several nets in 

 the Penobscot River estuary and reports that sturgeon are certainly not 

 numerous, but on the other hand they are not surprised when the nets 

 yield a specimen. 



The Atlantic sturgeon is anadromous running to fresh water to 

 spawn. Life history studies estimate the age as 20 to 30 years before 

 they spawn for the first time. Females may spawn as many as 2,000,000 

 eggs, but present knowledge indicates that breeding probably does not 

 take place every year. Sturgeon prefer to spawn in running water as 

 much as 10 feet deep over small rubble or gravel. Adult fish begin 

 spawning runs about the same time as shad and alewives in the spring 

 but actual spawning may not take place until July. There is no parental 

 care of eggs or young. Young sturgeon hatch a few days after spawning, 

 and spend the first few years of their life in the lower tidal reaches of 

 the river. 



The mouth of the Atlantic sturgeon is located underneath the 

 elongated and flattened snout, and is preceded by four barbels. Such an 

 arrangement suits the needs of a bottom-feeding fish. As bottom mud is 

 disturbed the sensitive barbels are quick to detect any food items that 

 may be uncovered and the protrusible mouth is used to suck up the 

 food. Teeth are present in only very young sturgeon. 



Scarcity of numbers precludes a large commercial market. Roe 

 of the sturgeon is the well-known caviar. 



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