Stellate sturgeon - Acipenser stellatus
It reaches length of 220 cm, and weight of 80 kg. It has 9-16 dorsal scutes and 9-14 ventral. There are 26-43 lateral scutes, and they are significantly remote from each other, which is specific. Snout is lengthened, narrow and dorso-ventraly flattened, and its length is not exceeding more than 50 % of total head length. Lower lip is interrupted at its center, barbels are not fringed and they are short.
Apart Azov, Black and Caspian Sea basin, they are present in the Adriatic Sea basin. Most important migrations are in Danube, Ural and Volga River systems. Stellate sturgeon is benthic species, and it inhabits inshore part of sea. Stellate sturgeon differs from most of sturgeon species, it can be found in middle and upper stratum of water. During winter it mainly occupies deep water, while during spring and summer it returns to the inshore waters. In rivers they avoid strong current and they stay in shallow waters, while during migrations they go in area of main river flow. They prefer sandy and muddy bottom.
Maximal recorded age was 27 years. Stellate sturgeon becomes mature sooner than most of other sturgeon species, except sterlet. Males become sexually mature at the age of 4 - 7 years and average period for mature females is 10 year. Interval between two spawnings is not less than 3-4 year. Stellate surgeon prefers warm waters, so it spawns later than beluga and other sturgeon species, in Danube River during May and June, on temperatures around 17 and 23ºC. Optimal conditions for spawning are fast river flow and gravelly, rocky or stone bottom. Migration in Danube River starts immediately after beluga and Russian sturgeon. There are two picks of migration, one from March to May and second from August to October.
Permanent catch ban for stellate sturgeon was established (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No 100/2003) and also defined I level of protection (“Official Gazette of Republic Serbia“, No 50/93).
Taken from: 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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