Today we’re looking at one of the oldest fish to swim our waters—the sturgeon. These 200 million-year-old fish are lovingly referred to as primitive fish. However, their value to our understanding of ancient times is anything but primitive. Experts study sturgeons to get a clearer picture of prehistoric animals. 

Here are some facts about sturgeons.   

The Appearance of Sturgeon

Sturgeon are huge in size, but their mouths are toothless. The sturgeon eats food by sucking it from the bottom of rivers, oceans, gulfs, and lakes.

Sturgeon Caviar

The best caviar in the world is removed from the roe of many sturgeon species. Unfortunately, such acts contribute to the exploitation of these exceptional fish.

The Classification and Scientific name of sturgeon

The sturgeons are ray-finned fish belonging to class Actinopterygii, the order Acipenseriformes, and the family Acipenseridae. It includes around 28 existing species and six vanished ones.

Fun Facts about the Sturgeon Fish

• The sturgeon fish lives in both lakes and rivers.
• The sturgeon lives in the lake, but it moves annually to the river, its birthplace.
• The sturgeon spawns at the lake and creates a new generation of lake sturgeon..
• Dams can hinder the sturgeon from returning to the home river to spawn.
• The sturgeon first appeared in Canada, Alabama, Hudson Bay, great lakes, and Mississippi river basins.
• The sturgeon is the largest fish in Great Lake, and it grows 9 feet long and over 300 pounds.
• Just like small fish, sturgeon have barbels that assist them in finding food; they capture food using their suction-like mouth.
• They are one of the oldest species in the world as they resemble their dinosaur descendants. The sturgeon has bony plates with sharp ridges on the side and back, known as scutes.
• The eldest lake sturgeon in history is 152 years old.