Wednesday, June 25

Stellate Sturgeon | Starry Sturgeon

The Stellate Sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus, also known as starry sturgeon or sevruga is a species of sturgeon. It is native to the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aegean Sea basins, but the fish has been extirpated from the last and it is predicted that the remaining natural population will follow soon due to over fishing. The starry sturgeon is an anatropous species, which migrates up rivers to spawn.

Stellate Sturgeon or Starry Sturgeon

The starry sturgeon or Stellate Sturgeon reaches about 220 cm (7.2 ft) in length and weighs up to 80 kg (180 lb). It is a slim-bodied fish easily distinguished from other sturgeons by its long, thin and straight snout. A row of five small barbells lies closer to the mouth than to the tip of the snout. The scales on the lateral line number between thirty and forty and these features distinguish this fish from the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). The maximum reported age for this species is 27 years.

Facts and figures of Stellate Sturgeon:
  • Acipenser stellatus was always rare in the Middle and Upper Danube, but also ascended several tributaries as Prut, Tisza, Drava, Sava and Morava.
  • Stellate Sturgeons migrate in spring and autumn. Males remain at spawning sites for up to six weeks, females for only 10-12 days.
  • Stellate Sturgeons stop eating once they start their migration. After spawning, they return to the sea quickly where they begin feeding again.
  • 87% decline in global commercial catch reflects the decline in species population.
  • 55,000 sturgeons found dead in the Sea of Azov in 1990 as the result of pollution.
  • 72.5% is the decline of Stellate Sturgeon catch over a 4-year period according to data from Romania.
The starry sturgeon is an important commercial species of fish. It is one of the three most important species for caviar along with the Beluga sturgeon and the Persian sturgeon. Its flesh is considered an expensive delicacy in the Caspian region. It is used to make kebabs, or is consumed pan fried, broiled, or smoked.

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