Atlantic Sturgeon

The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) is a large anadromous fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from Canada's Maritime provinces south to Florida. A member of the ancient family Acipenseridae, it can live several decades and grow to lengths of 3 meters or more. Historic overharvest and habitat degradation from damming and dredging caused sharp population declines, and the species is now listed as endangered or threatened across most of its range, with several distinct population segments under active federal protection in the United States and Canada. Its long ancestry and armored body make it a distinctive relic among East Coast river fauna.

Atlantic sturgeon can be identified by these features:

• Bluish-black to olive-brown back contrasting with a pale white belly
• Five rows of bony, plate-like scutes along the body
• Long, pointed snout with four barbels positioned ahead of the mouth
• Heterocercal tail fin typical of sturgeons
• Large adult size, often 2-3 meters It is distinguished from the smaller, closely related shortnose sturgeon by its notably larger adult size and longer, more pointed snout. Juveniles show relatively sharper, thinner snouts that broaden and shorten proportionally as they mature into large adults.

Atlantic sturgeon inhabit large coastal rivers and estuaries along the eastern seaboard of North America, spending juvenile years in fresh and brackish water before moving into coastal marine habitats as subadults. Adults migrate along the continental shelf and return to their natal rivers to spawn in freshwater reaches with strong current and firm substrate. The species tolerates a wide salinity range, using estuaries as critical nursery and transitional habitat between river and open sea. Individual river populations are genetically distinct, each tied closely to its own natal spawning grounds.

Atlantic sturgeon forage along the bottom for invertebrates and small fish using sensitive barbels to locate prey in soft sediment. Individuals spend multiple years at sea growing before returning, often to the river of their birth, to spawn in freshwater during spring. Sexual maturity is slow, sometimes not occurring until 15-20 years of age, and spawning may not happen every year. Long-lived and slow-reproducing, the species has been recovering gradually in some rivers under fishing moratoriums and habitat protection measures.