Beluga Sturgeon Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Massive, robust body that can reach several meters in length, far larger than most other sturgeon species
• Short, broadly rounded and somewhat upturned snout, less pointed than in many smaller sturgeon
• Very large, wide mouth relative to head size, with barbels that are flattened and often fringed or leaf-like
• Five rows of bony scutes along the body, though these become smaller and less prominent with age in large adults
• Coloration is grey to bluish-grey or brownish above, lightening to pale grey or white on the belly
• Heterocercal tail with the upper lobe longer than the lower, typical of all sturgeon

Common look-alikes

• Other sturgeon species: generally much smaller at maturity and have narrower, more pointed snouts with simple, non-fringed barbels
• Paddlefish: has a long, flat, paddle-shaped snout and lacks bony scutes entirely, unlike the scute-covered Beluga Sturgeon
• Gar: covered in hard diamond scales and a long toothed jaw, quite different from the Beluga's smooth-bodied, scute-lined form

Where you'll see one

Native to the Caspian and Black Sea basins, migrating up large rivers such as the Volga and Danube to spawn in fresh water before returning to brackish or marine habitats. It is a slow-growing, long-lived, bottom-oriented predator found in deep river channels and open sea.