Stellate sturgeon - Acipenser stellatus
Stellate sturgeon reaches length of 220 cm, and weight of 80 kg. It has 9-16 dorsal and 9-14 ventral scutes. There are 26-43 lateral scutes, which are significantly remote one from another, which is specific for this species. Snout is long, narrow and dorso-ventraly flattened, with the length not exceeding more than 50% of the total head length. Lower lip is interrupted at its center, barbels are short and not fringed.
Beside the Azov, Black and Caspian Sea basins, they are also present in the Adriatic Sea. The earliest migrations occur in the Danube, Ural and Volga River systems. Stellate sturgeon is a benthic species and inhabits inshore parts of sea. It differs from the most of the other sturgeon species by its habitat, since it can be also found in the middle and upper water strata. During the winter it mainly resides in the deep water, while in spring and summer it returns to the inshore and more shallow waters. In rivers they avoid strong currents and stay in shallow waters, while during migrations they move through the area of the main river flow. They prefer sandy and muddy bottom.
Maximum recorded age is 27 years. Stellate sturgeon becomes mature sooner than most of the other sturgeon species, except for sterlet. Males become sexually mature at 4-7 years and females at 10 years of age. Interval between two spawnings is no less than 3-4 years. Stellate surgeon prefers warm waters, so it spawns later than beluga and other sturgeon species. In the Danube River it spawns during May and June, at temperatures around 17-23ºC. Optimal conditions for spawning are the fast river flow and gravelly, rocky or stone bottom. Migration in the Danube River starts immediately after beluga and Russian sturgeon migrations. There are two migration peaks, one from March to May and the second from August to October.
There is a permanent ban established for stellate sturgeon catch (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No 36/09) and the I level of protection (“Official Gazette of Republic Serbia“, No 50/93).
Source: Lenhardt, M., Hegediš, A. and Jaric, I. (2005). Action plan for sturgeon species management in fishery waters of Republic Serbia. Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stankovic”, p. 21. Developed for Ministry of Science and Environmental Protection of Republic Serbia.
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