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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Maximum longevity: 46.1 years (captivity)
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Diagnostic Description

provided by FAO species catalogs
Snout and caudal peduncle subconical. Snout length and form highly variable. Generally, sterlets with pointed snouts tend to be young specimens, and the average age of those with blunt snouts is greater. Spiracle present. Gill membranes joined to isthmus. Mouth transverse and lower lip with a split in the middle. Barbels fimbriate. 11-27 gill rakers. D:32-54, A:16-34. 11-18 dorsal scutes. 56-71 lateral scutes. 10-20 ventral scutes. Numerous bony plates between the rows of scutes. Colouration varies greatly. Back usually dark greyish-brown. Belly yellowish white. The scutes are dirty white and the fins, grey.

References

  • Banarecu, P - 1964. Pisces-Osteichthyes Fauna Republicii Populare Romine. 13. Ed: Academiei Republicii Populare Romine, Bucaresti.
  • Berg, L.S - 1962. Freshwater fishes of the U.S.S.R. and adjacent countries. Israel Program for Scientific Translations Ltd, Jerusalem. Volume 1, 4th edition. Russian version published 1948
  • Birstein, V.B. & W.E. Bemis - 1997. How many species are there within the genus Acipenser? Environ. Biol. Fish. 48: 157-163.
  • Birstein, V.J., Bemis, W.E & J.R. Waldman - 1997. The threatened status of acipenseriform species: a summary. Environm. Biol. Fish. 48:427-435.
  • Hensel, K. & J. Holcík - 1997. Past and current status of sturgeons in the upper and middle Danube River. Environ. Biol. Fish. 48:185-200.
  • Reshetnikov, Y.S, N.G. Bogutskaya, E.D. Vasil'eva, E.A. Dorofeeva, A.M. Naseka, O.A. Popova, K.A. Savvaitova, V.G. Sideleva & L.I. Sokolov - 1997. An annotated check-list of the freshwater fishes of Russia. J. Ichthyol. 37(9): 687-736.
  • Rochard, E., Castelnaud, G. & M. Lepage - 1990. Sturgeons (Pisces:Acipenseridae); threats and prospects. J. Fish Biol. 37 (A): 123-132.
  • Sokolov, L.I & V.P. Vasilev - 1989. Acipenser ruthenus Linnaeus, 1758. In J. Holcíck (ed.) The freshwater fishes of Europe, Vol. I, Part. II: General introduction to fishes, Acipenseriformes. p: 227-263. Aula-Verlag.
  • Svetovidov, A.N. - 1964. Handbook of the fauna of the USSR, fishes of the Black Sea. Izdatel'stvo Nauka . 550 p. Moscow
  • Vasilev, V.P. - 1980. Chromosome numbers in fish-like vertebrates and fish. J. Ichthyol. 20(3):1-38.

Distribution

provided by FAO species catalogs
The sterlet is a Eurasian species inhabiting rivers flowing into the Caspian, Black, Azov, Baltic, White, Barents, and Kara Seas (Sokolov & Vasilev, 1989).

Size

provided by FAO species catalogs
Maximum size 125 cm and a weight of 16 kg; usually below 100 cm and 6 to 6,5 kg.

Brief Summary

provided by FAO species catalogs
The sterlet is a potamal freshwater fish that seldom occur in large lakes. It inhabits the lowland and foothill zones of the rivers and usually stays in the current in deep depression in the riverbed. Small specimens are often encountered in sandy shallows. The two kinds of spawning sites are the river bed at a depth from 7 to 15 m, and floodplain sites flooded by the rising spring water, on pebbles and rarely on gravelly-sand bottoms.It generally behaves as a resident fish.Does not undertake long migrations.Their main food in all rivers is benthic organisms, mainly insect larvae ( Trichoptera, Chironomidae, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Simuliidae ); small mollouscs (Sphaeridium spp., Pisidium spp. and Viviparus), annelids, other invertebrates , and also fish eggs, including those of other acipenserids, are also included in their diet. Young specimens feeds mainly on trichopteran and chironomid larvae. In the Volga river near its mouth, gammarids account for over 90 % of the food by weigh in young specimens. With increasing size, the role of tricopterans increases while that of chironomidae decreases. Males reach sexual maturity at an age of 3-6 years old, one to two years earlier than the females. The spawning periodicity remains open: spawn every year or only after a pause (shorter for males than for females) of one or more years?. Possibly, in the northern part of the range, the onset of sexual maturity would be later, and a considerable proportion of the adult specimens would not reproduce during every spawning season (Sokolov & Vasilev, 1989). During the spring floods they do swim upstream in the river for spawning. Males appear at the spawning ground before females at the water temperature from 9 to 11 ºC. Females reach the spawning ground later, at a water temperature from 12 to 13 ºC. The optimal water temperature for the reproduction of sterlets ranges from 12 to 17 ºC. The sterlet has the shortest life span (22-24 years old) in the genus Acipenser and females live longer than males.

Benefits

provided by FAO species catalogs
The sterlet is a very important commercial fish. They were caught with nets, fish traps, willow baskets, and with barbed lances. At the present time, most of the sterlets captured come from the Danube River system. They are usually marketed alive, and rarely refrigerated, frozen or smoked. Males of this species are used to produce the bester, the first generation hybrid with beluga (Huso huso) females. The sterlet is an important fish in aquaculture, reahing sexual maturity in containers filled with warmed water (Sokolov & Vasilev, 1989 ).

Diagnostic Description

provided by Fishbase
Back and flanks are beige. Five rows of scutes : 12-17D, 57-71L, 10-19V. Ventrals and laterals are very light-colored, nearly white. Narrow and pointed snout with four long and fringed barbels. Inferior lip clearly slit (Ref. 40476). Can be diagnosed from congeners in Europe by having 56-71 lateral scutes, first dorsal scute not fused with head, barbels fimbriate, lower lip interrupted in middle and 11-27 gill rakers (Ref. 59043).
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Rodolfo B. Reyes
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Life Cycle

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Scatters eggs on gravel.
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Armi G. Torres
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Migration

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Potamodromous. Migrating within streams, migratory in rivers, e.g. Saliminus, Moxostoma, Labeo. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28; Analspines: 9; Analsoft rays: 14 - 18
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Trophic Strategy

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Feeds on benthic and planktonic organisms (Ref. 27368).
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Pascualita Sa-a
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Biology

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A fluvial fish which inhabits rivers and their tributaries (Ref. 9696). Occurs in large rivers, usually in the current and in deep water. Moves to flooded areas to feed (Ref. 59043). Chiefly potamodromous (Ref. 58897). Like other sturgeons, it aggregates in bottom holes in winter and exhibits little activity. In spring, when ice breaks, it rises from the bottom holes and moves upstream for spawning (Ref. 593). Spawns in habitats with strong-current on gravel, rarely on gravel-sand bottom or in flooded sites. Juveniles stay in riverine habitats during their first summer. Classified as endangered species. Anadromous populations are now extirpated; local populations are still surviving in most parts of range (Ref. 59043).
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Importance

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fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
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Sterlet

provided by wikipedia EN

The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers that flow into the Black Sea, Azov Sea, and Caspian Sea, as well as rivers in Siberia as far east as Yenisei. Populations migrating between fresh and salt water (anadromous) have been extirpated.[1]Also known as Sterlet sturgeon.

Due to overfishing (for its flesh, caviar, and isinglass), pollution, and dams, the sterlet has declined throughout its native range and is considered vulnerable by the IUCN.[1] Restocking projects are ongoing, and it has been introduced to some regions outside its native range, but the latter have generally not become self-sustaining.[1] Today, the majority of the international trade involves sterlets from aquaculture.[1]

Physical appearance

  • The sterlet may reach 16 kg in weight and 100 to 125 cm in length, rarely exceeding a length of 90 cm.
  • It is quite variable in coloration, but usually has a yellowish ventral side.
  • It is distinguishable from other European species of sturgeons by the presence of a great number of whitish lateral scutes, fringed barbels, and an elongated and narrow snout, highly variable in length.

Feeding habits

The sterlet's main source of food is benthic organisms; they commonly feed on crustaceans, worms, and insect larvae.[5]

On exhibition Subaqueous Vltava, Prague

Life history

Acipenser ruthenus3.jpg

The sterlet commonly reaches the age of 22 to 25 years. Males reach sexual maturity at 3–7 years old and females at 4–12 years old. Spawning occurs from the middle of April to the beginning of June. Females may lay from 15,000–44,000 eggs, at water temperatures preferably 12–17 °C (54–63 °F).

As pond fish

Sterlets require relatively large ponds with good water conditions, and may get entangled in plants such as blanketweed. They may require special food such as sterlet sticks, as they are unable to digest the vegetable proteins usually found in commercial fish foods.

As food

Sterlet with satsivi

In Russia, it is held in high esteem on account of its excellent flesh, contributing also to the best kinds of caviar and isinglass.

History in the Danube

The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus in Linnaeus' classification) is the last of the five native sturgeon species inhabiting the Middle and Upper Danube River. Its population has dropped significantly, mainly due to the degradation of main habitats, spawning grounds and foraging grounds.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Gessner, J.; Freyhof, J.; Kottelat, M.; Friedrich, T. (2022). "Acipenser ruthenus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T227A135062526. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ^ Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Acipenseridae". FishBase version (02/2017). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Acipenseridae" (PDF). Deeplyfish- fishes of the world. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  5. ^ "What Do Sturgeon Fish Eat?". Sciencing. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  6. ^ Kubala, Maroš; Farský, Martin; Pekárik, Ladislav (February 2019). "Migration patterns of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus, Linnaeus 1758) in the Middle Danube assessed by 1 year acoustic telemetry study". Journal of Applied Ichthyology. 35 (1): 54–60. doi:10.1111/jai.13859. ISSN 0175-8659.
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Sterlet: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers that flow into the Black Sea, Azov Sea, and Caspian Sea, as well as rivers in Siberia as far east as Yenisei. Populations migrating between fresh and salt water (anadromous) have been extirpated.Also known as Sterlet sturgeon.

Due to overfishing (for its flesh, caviar, and isinglass), pollution, and dams, the sterlet has declined throughout its native range and is considered vulnerable by the IUCN. Restocking projects are ongoing, and it has been introduced to some regions outside its native range, but the latter have generally not become self-sustaining. Today, the majority of the international trade involves sterlets from aquaculture.

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