Short-nosed Sturgeon 



Short-nosed Sturgeon 



Acipenser brevirostris (Le Sueur) 



The short-nosed sturgeon ranges from Cape Cod southward to 

 Florida, and rarely it has been reported from the coast of Texas. 

 It is more southern in its distribution than the common sturgeon. 

 Though not abundant anywhere, it is taken most frequently from 

 New Jersey southward. Examples are occasionally taken in Indian 

 River and elsewhere on the east coast of Florida, and it is said 

 to be not uncommon in the Suwanee and other rivers on the 

 Gulf coast of that state. 



This sturgeon is much smaller than the common sturgeon. 

 The largest examples seen by Le Sueur were only 33 inches 

 long, while the largest obtained by Ryder was but 23 inches. It 

 probably does not attain a greater length than 3 feet, and seems 

 to be not much used for food. 



Its habits so far as known do not differ from those of the 

 common species. Its colour alone is usually diagnostic. The 

 young of the common sturgeon is never dark-coloured, while the 

 characteristic dirty olive-green or brownish, with a shade of green 

 in it, is always seen in the common sturgeon at all stages of 

 its growth. 



Head about 4; depth 5^; eye 9 to 10 in head; snout about 

 3^; D. 41; A. 22; dorsal shields 8 to n; lateral 22 to 33; 

 ventral 6 to 9. Body elongate; snout very short and obtuse, 

 \ to \ length of head; barbels short and simple; skin between 

 rows of shields with many rows of prickle-like plates; shields 

 rather large and smoothish; anal fin about half size of dorsal and 

 wholly below it. Colour, dusky or even dark above, paler below. 

 Length 2 to 3 feet. 



