Lake sturgeon

Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 5–9 m.

Scientific name: Acipenser fulvescens · Water: Freshwater, Brackish

Size: up to 274 cm

About

The lake sturgeon is a freshwater acipenserid of the bottoms of lakes and large rivers, usually in 5 to 9 m over mud, sand and gravel, and it occasionally enters brackish water. Its range is North America, in the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins. It ranges through the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins. It searches for food close to the substrate using the sensory ability of its barbels, and it is omnivorous. Maximum length is about 274 cm total length, commonly about 97 cm, and a specimen caught in 1952 was reputed to be 152 years old. It is a commercial species and a gamefish. Fishing vulnerability is very high at 86 of 100 and resilience very low. IUCN lists it as endangered, and it is on CITES and CMS Appendix II.

Ecology and habitat

Water layer
Bottom-dwelling
Depth
5–9 m
Distribution status
Native
Trophic level
3.3
Maximum age
152 years

Fishery and market

Game fish
Yes
Resilience
Very low

Methods

Sources

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