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Chondrostei (sturgeons) > Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) > Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) > Acipenserinae
Etymology: Acipenser: Latin, acipenser = sturgeon, 1853 (Ref. 45335); gueldenstaedtii: Named for Johann Anton Güldenstädt (1745-1781)..

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 2 - 100 m, usually 10 - 25 m. Temperate; 10°C - 20°C (Ref. 2059); 61°N - 35°N, 26°E - 54°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eurasia: Black Sea, Sea of Azov and Caspian Sea basins. Introduced throughout Europe.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 236 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 59043); common length : 145 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3561); max. published weight: 115.0 kg (Ref. 6866); max. reported age: 46 years (Ref. 3561)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27 - 48; Anal soft rays: 16 - 35. Under the name A. g. colchicus. Lower lip not continuous, interrupted at center. Five rows of scutes: dorsal 7-19, lateral 24-44 on each side, ventral 6-13 on each side, with lines of smaller stellate bony plates between the dorsal and ventral rows. Color of back olivaceous grey, flanks lighter, and belly white.

Anadromous and freshwater populations exist. At the sea, it occurs in shallow coastal and estuarine zones. In freshwaters, it inhabits deep parts of large rivers with moderate to swift current (Ref. 59043). Found mainly near the shore over sand and mud. Usually solitary, but swarms when hibernating or during spawning migrations. Occasionally forms schools (Ref. 3241). Feeds on benthic molluscs, crustaceans and small fishes. Spawns on stone or gravel bottom in large and deep rivers with strong current, 1-1.5 m/s (Ref. 59043). Mainly propagated through artificial reproduction.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Under the name A. g. colchicus. Spawns in rivers. Natural spawning not extensive, maintained chiefly by artificial propagation. Enters rivers from April to June (a few in autumn).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Sokolov, L.I. and L.S. Berdicheskii, 1989. Acipenseridae. p. 150-153. In J. Holcík (ed.) The freshwater fishes of Europe. Vol. 1, Part II. General introduction to fishes Acipenseriformes. AULA-Verlag Wiesbaden. 469 p. (Ref. 9953)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2bcde); Date assessed: 14 September 2019

CITES

Appendix II: International trade monitored

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Appendix II: Migratory species conserved through agreements

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums

FAO - Aquaculture systems: production; Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 10.7 - 15.9, mean 13.8 °C (based on 32 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00437 (0.00268 - 0.00711), b=3.12 (2.99 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.3 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=11; Fec = 26,000).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (87 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): High vulnerability (62 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 14.6 [8.4, 25.7] mg/100g; Iron = 0.247 [0.150, 0.396] mg/100g; Protein = 17.4 [14.9, 20.1] %; Omega3 = 0.342 [0.189, 0.611] g/100g; Selenium = 23.6 [12.0, 45.3] μg/100g; VitaminA = 5.63 [1.97, 16.00] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.512 [0.365, 0.722] mg/100g (wet weight);

Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833