The starry sturgeon (''Acipenser stellatus'') also known as stellate sturgeon or sevruga (Drakul, , and tr, Uzun Burun, lit=long nosed), is a species of sturgeon. It is native to the

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

Azov Azov (russian: Азов), previously known as Azak, is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. Population: History Early settlements in the vicinity The mout ...

, Caspian and Aegean sea basins, but it has been

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

from the last and it is predicted that the remaining natural population will follow soon due to overfishing. The starry sturgeon is an anadromous species, which migrates up rivers to spawn. It is considered critically endangered by the IUCN and international trade in this species (including its caviar) is restricted by

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

Description

The starry sturgeon reaches about in length and weighs up to . It is a slim-bodied fish easily distinguished from other sturgeons by its long, thin and straight snout. A row of five small

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and some s ...

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 The Russian sturgeon (''Acipenser gueldenstaedtii''), also known as the diamond sturgeon or Danube sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey ...

(''Acipenser gueldenstaedtii''). Its general colouring is dark greyish-green or brown with a pale underside. The scales on the lateral line are pale. The maximum reported age for this species is 27 years.

Biology

The starry sturgeon is a harmless species that feeds on fish, worms,

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group can ...

s and mollusks. It lies on the bottom during the day and feeds mostly at night. This fish is anadromous and moves upriver into shallow waters to spawn.

Uses

The starry sturgeon is an important commercial species of fish. It is one of the three most important species for caviar, see Sevruga caviar, along with the Beluga sturgeon and the Ossetra sturgeon. Its flesh is considered an expensive delicacy in the Caspian region. It is used to make kabaabs, or is consumed pan fried, broiled, or smoked. There have been several attempts in Russia,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and the United States to adapt this species for aquaculture, with varying degrees of success. The resilience of this species is low. The minimum population doubling time is 4.5 – 14 years.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q739541 Acipenser Fish of the Caspian Sea Fish of the Black Sea Fish of Central Asia Fish of Europe Critically endangered fish Critically endangered fauna of Asia Critically endangered biota of Europe Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas Fish described in 1771

Description

Biology

Uses

See also

References

External links