00 m:\v vokk state museum 



in* Acipenser rubicundus Lc JSueur 



Lake ^Stur(f('on 



Act [H liner nibicinidiis Ja-: Sukir, Trans. Am. I'hil. Soc. I, 388, 1818; De 

 Kay, X. Y. Fauna. Fishes, 344, pi. 58, tig. 191. 1842; Gui^ther, 

 Cat. Fish. Brit. Miis. A'lII, 338, 1870; Jordax & Gilbert, Bull. 16, 

 IT. S. Nat. Mus. 87, 1883; .Jordan & Eveemanx, Bull. 47, IT. S. Na.t. 

 Mus. im, 1S5K>. 



Acipenser imieiilosiis Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. YIII, 339, 1870. 



The body of the lake sturgeon is rather more slender than 

 tliat of the coniuion sturgeon. The snout is rather blunt; in the 

 Young h)ng and sk^uder. The shields of the body are large, 

 about 14 on the back, 30 or more on the side, and eight or nine 

 along the abdomen, between pectoral and ventral fins. Each 

 shichl is surmounted by a strong hooked spine. The head is con- 

 tained three and one third times in the length without tail, 

 liarbels tour. latlK-i- long; eye small; dorsal and anal fins small, 

 placed far back as in the pike. B. 35; A. 20. 



This is known as the lake sturgeon, Ohio river sturgeon, rock 

 sturgeon, bony sturgeon, red sturgeon and ruddy sturgeon. It 

 inhabils the ^lississippi and Ohio rivers and the Great lakes, 

 and is abundani in the Allegheny. From the lakes 'it ascends 

 the streams in spring for the purpose of spawning. Dr Richard- 

 son slates the northern limit of the sturgeon in North America 

 t be about tlie 55th parallel of latitude. 



Size. The lake sturgeon is smaller than the common marine 

 siuigeon. the aveiage adult being less than 5 feet in length. 

 The n\er;ige weighi of 14.(100 mature sturgeon taken at San- 

 dnsk.v (). was nboiii .1(1 |Miunds. Tt frecjuently reachei>< a length 

 of (I Icel. 



Habits. In ilie lakes Hie species, according to obsei'vations Of 

 .lanirs W. Miliici-. inli;il>iis comiiaratively shoal waleis. 



Til'' food of I his siui'geon is made up chiefly of shellfish, 

 "I' i'l'liii.i^ 111"' goncia Lininaea, M e 1 a n t h o. P h y a, 

 ' ' ! " " I ' i ^. ami \' a 1 \ a I a. Eggs of fishes are also to be 

 riiiiml ill iis s(oniarli. 



'" l"ik<- liiii' I lie species sjtawus in .Inne. Cor which jiurjiose 

 it asctinls lln' rivers in large schools I ill flopped by obsl rnci ions 



