denise
01-28-2012, 01:49 PM
Sturgeon is the common name for a family grouping of 26 or so species of bony fish, that are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. Sturgeons are one of the oldest fish families in existence, and as they have retained many primitive characteristics, they give a good example of what fish may have looked like during the age of the dinosaurs!
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shortnosesturgeon2.jpg
Sturgeon are primitive looking fish, with elongated bodies, lack of scales (instead the body is covered by bony plates), a heterocercal tail (the upper lobe is much longer than the lower lobe) and potential to reach great sizes. Most range from 7–12 feet in length, but lengths of up to 15 feet are not uncommon. They are bottom feeders preying on worms, snails, shrimp and crayfish. They use their barbels to locate food and their extendable mouths to vacuum it up.
Of the seven species that inhabit North America, only the Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon are native to Florida's freshwaters. Shortnose sturgeon are most likely to be found in the St Johns River. They are also spotted in the Suwanee River, and are common in spring basins during periods of flooding, for example Little River Springs and Telford Springs. Shortnose sturgeon populations have drastically declined in recent years due to overfishing, loss of habitat, limited access to spawning areas (in part to dams) and water pollution.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shortnosesturgeon.jpg
Close up photos of Shortnose Sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum
Photo courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Services (http://www.fws.gov/)
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shortnosesturgeon2.jpg
Sturgeon are primitive looking fish, with elongated bodies, lack of scales (instead the body is covered by bony plates), a heterocercal tail (the upper lobe is much longer than the lower lobe) and potential to reach great sizes. Most range from 7–12 feet in length, but lengths of up to 15 feet are not uncommon. They are bottom feeders preying on worms, snails, shrimp and crayfish. They use their barbels to locate food and their extendable mouths to vacuum it up.
Of the seven species that inhabit North America, only the Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon are native to Florida's freshwaters. Shortnose sturgeon are most likely to be found in the St Johns River. They are also spotted in the Suwanee River, and are common in spring basins during periods of flooding, for example Little River Springs and Telford Springs. Shortnose sturgeon populations have drastically declined in recent years due to overfishing, loss of habitat, limited access to spawning areas (in part to dams) and water pollution.
http://www.dayo.com/fishid/shortnosesturgeon.jpg
Close up photos of Shortnose Sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum
Photo courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Services (http://www.fws.gov/)