There are 27 species of Sturgeon around the world,
and three along the Eastern Coasts of the U.S.
This primeval fish with ancestral
beginnings older than the Dinosaurs,
may date back to as much as 200 million years,
or about the same time as Sharks.
One looking at this remarkable fish would be
reminded of the Alligator
Snapping Turtle
which also has a primordial appearance.
The Sturgeon body is covered with bony plates,
instead of the usual scales of modern fish
species,
just one of
several physical features
that sets this fish apart from
others.
Shortnose Sturgeon
Photo credit: Noel Burkhead
Many Sturgeon, not all, are anadromous, which means
that
they live in two worlds, freshwater and seawater
and like the Salmon, they go home to spawn.
Dams blocking the Sturgeon's access to spawning
areas have been a key factor in their decline.
Gulf Sturgeon
Photo credit: Noel Burkhead
Our species of Florida Sturgeon call two places
home,
the beautiful
and boat popular Suwannee River
and Gulf Coastal Region in the Florida Panhandle
and the St. John's River.
Gulf Sturgeon jumping on the Suwannee
Photo credit: Tim Ross
Each summer, they can be seen on the Suwannee
jumping as much as six feet in the air and
occasionally,
some boaters have been injured in these displays.
A firm reason for this jumping display is a
continued
debate among the scientists who study them.
Sturgeon are bottom dwellers whose diet
consists of insects and mollusks found in their
preferred waters of deep, slow moving rivers,
as well as bays and estuaries.
Shortnose Sturgeon at Surface
Photo credit: Nancy Haley/NOAA
The Gulf and Shortnose Sturgeon in our area
are listed as either Endangered or Threatened.
Places to learn more:
