298 STURGEONS 



THE LAKE STURGEON 1 is from 5 to 6 feet in average 

 length, weighs from 30 to 40 pounds, and inhabits the Great 

 Lakes and adjacent connecting waters of good depth. 



THE SHORT-NOSED STURGEON 2 is a salt-water species, 

 found along our Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from Cape Cod to 

 Texas. This is a small species, only about 2 feet in length, 

 and is of no importance. 



THE COMMON STURGEON 3 of our Atlantic coast is the 

 largest and most valuable member of this Order in Ameri- 

 can waters. It attains a length of 10 feet, and 500 pounds 

 in weight, and to-day at Wilmington, Delaware, its centre 

 of abundance, a large specimen represents about $75 worth 

 of commercial value. The most valuable part is the roe, 

 a cask of which, weighing 130 pounds, is worth $110. 



THE WHITE STURGEON 4 inhabits the waters of the Pacific 

 from southern California to Alaska, and the records show 

 it to be a giant among food fishes. Jordan and Evermann 

 quote it up to 13 feet in length, and weighing 1,000 pounds; 

 but the weight of any animal, dead or alive, which ends 

 with two ciphers is certain to be a weight of Estimate, and 

 not of Fairbanks. Strangely enough, numerous specimens of 

 this Sturgeon have been taken- in Idaho, in the Snake River, 

 weighing from 100 to 650 pounds. "An example 11 feet 

 2 inches long measured 2 feet across the head." (Jordan and 

 Evermann.) 



Ten years ago (1904) the latest reports on the Sturgeon 

 industry generally were for 12 months during 1897 and 



1 Ac-i-pen'ser ru-bi-cun'dus. 2 A. bre-vi-ros'tris. 



3 A. stu'ri-o. * A. trans-mon-tan'us. 



