3 photos - 1 species
Introduction
They are divided into two subfamilies, the Acipenserinae with 3 genera and 22 species and the Scaphirhynchinae with one genus consisting of 3 species.
The sturgeons are a family of large to very large primitive bony fishes.
They live in Europe, North and Central Asia and North America.
They are marine fish that migrate to fresh waters to spawn.
They feed on invertebrates.
In females, the ovaries can account for up to 20 % of the total weight.
They provide the famous caviar.
Almost all species are endangered.
Most sturgeons grow to between 1 and 3 metres in length, depending on the species, with the smallest species reaching 27.5 cm and the longest over 5 metres.
Acipenser gueldenstaedtii
Russian sturgeon, Diamond sturgeon or Danube sturgeon
Maximum size: 2.35 m
Depth: 10 - 25 m
Endangered species, is on the IUCN red list and is now strictly controlled.
It is an important supplier of caviar for the Russian fishing industry.
People catch the pregnant females, remove the eggs (caviar)
and simply throw the dying animals back into the water.
If the animals are lucky and escape all this, they can live to be 46 years old
and grow to be 2.35 metres tall and weigh up to 100 kg,
although this is very rare as they are killed much earlier.
Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Luxembourg ( Aquarium )