Anadromous/Freshwater, Cartilaginous-like
Sterlet
Acipenser ruthenus
Elongated, spindle-shaped body with a shark-like heterocercal tail. Notable for having five rows of bony plates (scutes). It has a narrow, pointed snout and four fringed barbels located closer to the snout than the mouth.…
- Habitat
- Primarily lives in large rivers and their tributaries, p…
- Size & weight
- Typically ranges from 40 to 100 cm in length and weighs…
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Physical characteristics
Elongated, spindle-shaped body with a shark-like heterocercal tail. Notable for having five rows of bony plates (scutes). It has a narrow, pointed snout and four fringed barbels located closer to the snout than the mouth. Coloration ranges from grayish-brown to dark gray on the back, with a light white or yellowish belly.
Habitat & distribution
Primarily lives in large rivers and their tributaries, preferring deep, fast-flowing water with rocky or gravelly substrates. It is native to rivers flowing into the Caspian, Black, Azov, Baltic, White, Barents, and Kara seas.
Ecological role
A bottom-dwelling benthivore that feeds on insect larvae, crustaceans, and small mollusks. They play a role in nutrient cycling within riverbeds. The species is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss, pollution, and dam construction.
Similar species
Beluga Sturgeon (Huso huso) - much larger with a wider mouth; Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) - has shorter barbels and different scute counts; Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) - lacks the white margins on the fins and scutes often seen in sterlets.