| Acipenseridae (Sturgeons), subfamily: Acipenserinae |
| 250 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 80 kg; max. reported age: 29 years |
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demersal; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 100 m, anadromous |
| Eurasia: Caspian, Black, Azov and Aegean Seas, ascending rivers to spawn. Occurrence in Albania needs confirmation. Introduced in Aral Sea. Artificially propagated (Ref. 6866). Probably extirpated from Aegean Sea and related river basins (Ref. 113969). |
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Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 40-46; Anal soft rays: 24-29. Snout long, pointed at tip. Lower lip not continuous, interrupted at center. Barbels short not reaching mouth but nearer to it than to tip of snout. Five rows of scutes, dorsal 11-14, lateral 30-36 on each side, ventral 10-11 on each side, with small bony stellate plates and smaller grains between main scute rows. Back dark grey to almost black, flanks lighter, belly white. |
| At the sea, it occurs in coastal and estuarine zones and forages on the bottom mostly on clayey sand and intensively in the middle and upper water layers (Ref. 59043). Found mainly near shore over sand and mud, stays at the bottom during the day and rises to the surface to feed at night. Feeds mainly on fish, also mollusks, crustaceans and worms (Ref. 3193). Spawns in strong-current habitats in main course of large and deep rivers, on stone or gravel bottom. Spawning also takes place on flooded river banks and if gravel bottom is not available, on sand or sandy clay. Juveniles stay in shallow riverine habitats during first summer (Ref. 59043). One of the three most important species for caviar; also utilized fresh and frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988). Overfishing at the sea for meat and caviar will soon cause extinction of the natural populations and their survival can only depend on stocking (Ref. 59043). |
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Critically Endangered (CR); Date assessed: 14 September 2019 (A2bcde) Ref. (130435)
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| harmless |
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Known from the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea and watersheds, European Black Sea watersheds, European Mediterranean Sea watersheds, and Anatolian Black Sea watersheds (Ref. 58342). Also Ref. 106151. Found in central coast of Black Sea (Sinop and Samsun vicinity) (Ref. 88083). Threatened due to commercial and bycatch fishing, habitat loss, eutrophication/pollution, construction of weirs/dams in rivers and aquaculture/introduction. Listed on Annex V of the EU Habitats Directive. Proposed for Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (Ref. 58342). Also Ref. 638.
Status of threat: Critically Endangered (Ref. 58342). EurTurk. |
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