Sturgeon | Characteristics & Facts - Britannica

Distribution

The common Old World sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) occurs from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. A very similar, closely related form, considered a separate species (A. oxyrhynchus) by some authorities, occurs along the east coast of North America. The length of these fishes is generally to about 3 metres (10 feet); their weight can reach about 227 kg (500 pounds).

The Russian sturgeon, A. guldenstadtii, is one of the most valuable species inhabiting the rivers of Russia and occurs eastward to Lake Baikal. It is about the same size as the common sturgeon and is found particularly in the rivers feeding the Black and Caspian seas. A smaller species, the sterlet (A. ruthenus), inhabits the Black and Caspian seas and is a valuable food fish about 0.9 metre (3 feet) long. The stellate, or star, sturgeon, A. stellatus, occurs in the rivers of the Black and Caspian seas and of the Sea of Azov. It has a long pointed snout like the sterlet, and its flesh, caviar, and isinglass are highly valued.

The beluga, or hausen (Huso huso), inhabits the Caspian and Black seas and the Sea of Azov. A large sturgeon, it reaches a length of 8 metres (26.2 feet) and a weight of 3.2 tonnes (3.5 short tons), but its flesh and caviar are less valuable than those of smaller species.

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The Chinese sturgeon (A. sinensis), which can grow to more than 4 metres (13 feet) in length, inhabits the East China Sea and South China Sea but returns to adjacent rivers to reproduce. The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) is its main spawning environment.

The lake, or rock, sturgeon (A. fulvescens) of North America occurs in the Mississippi River valley, Great Lakes, and Canada and may weigh more than 90 kg (200 pounds). The white, Oregon, or Sacramento sturgeon (A. transmontanus) occurs on the Pacific coast and is the largest of the North American sturgeons, weighing up to 820 kg (1,800 pounds).

The family Acipenseridae also includes the genus Scaphirhynchus, the shovelhead, or shovelnose, sturgeon, with three species distinguished by their long, broad, flat snouts. These fishes inhabit the Mississippi River and its tributaries.