378 



STELLATED STURGEON. 



Acipenser Stellatus. A. rostro spatulato subrecmo, diametm 

 oru transversa sextuplo longiore, cirris ori propioribus, labiis 

 integris, Lin. Gmel, Guldenst. nov. comm. Petrop. l6, p. 

 533. 



Sturgeon with spatulate subrecurved snoutj and entire lips. 

 Acipenser Kostar. Gmelin. it. 3. p, 238. 



Length from four to five feet : body more slender 

 than in the Sterlet : head sub tetragonal, and rough- 

 ened with stellated marks and tubercles : skin 

 roughened by crenated scale-like rudiments : form 

 pentangular, owing to five rows of shields, each of 

 which is keeled and sharp-pointed : in the dorsal 

 row are thirteen, and in the superior lateral rows 

 thirty-five : besides these is a row of smaller ones 

 on each side the abdomen, and beyond the vent 

 are placed three shields : general colour dusky 

 above, spotted with white on the lower part of the 

 sides, and milk-white beneath : fins longer than in 

 other Sturgeons. Inhabits the Caspian sea, out of 

 which it migrates in innumerable shoals into the 

 rivers. 



