Acipenser fulvescens

(Rafinesque, 1817)

Vernacular names

English : Lake sturgeon
French : Esturgeon jaune

Classification

Class : Chondrostei
Order : Acipenseriformes
Family : Acipenseridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification

This species grows to about 1 meter in length although the record is 2.74 meters for a weight of 125 kg. Rows of large bony plates (becoming smoother with age) on back and flanks. Elongated snout. Dark grey color, with white belly.

Range and habitat

The species occurs in North America and can be found around the Great Lakes, the Hudson Bay and the Mississippi river basins. Lives in freshwater lakes and large rivers, often enters brackish water (estuaries).

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : ENDANGERED
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species remains stable in most of its range but a few of its most important populations are declining dramatically because of habitat loss and destruction. More research and monitoring are needed.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation