©Andi Hartl

Danube sturgeon

D-Waxdick; GB-Danube sturgeon, Russian sturgeon; DK-Russisk stør; PL-Jesiotr rosyjski; LT-Rusiškasis eršketas; EST-Vene tuur; RU-Русский осётр; FIN-Venäjänsampi; S-Rysk stör

Characters

1) short snout (distance from tip of snout to the eye much shorter than the distance from the eye to the end of operculum).
2) four, not fringed barbels, originating nearer to the tip of snout than to the mouth.
●) numerous stellate denticles between dorsal and lateral scutes.
●) sides often staining golden.
Normally smaller than 2 m; in former times maybe over 3 m.

Similar species

Atlantic sturgeon - snout long.

Siberian sturgeon - snout long.

Sterlet - snout long; barbels with ramifications.

Biology

Lives in rivers as well as in brackish waters from the Black and Caspian Sea. Males reach sexual maturity with 8 to 13 years, while females need 10 to 16 years to become sexually mature.

Diet

Feeds mainly on benthic inverterbrates, but also on crustaceans and smaller fish.

Importance

As food fish commercially of high importance and for caviar production: trade name of the caviar "Ossietra".

Endangerment

Not native in the Baltic Sea. Natural occurence in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, but threatened with extinction due to overfishing.