lake sturgeon
Quick Summary
The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a species of fish found in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems. These fish can grow to be four to six feet long and are now rare in many areas where they were once common.1
Sturgeons, in general, are ancient fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Many species live in oceans and migrate to rivers to spawn, while others are freshwater-only. Sturgeons are characterized by bony plates along their bodies and a toothless, underslung mouth with barbels used to find food on the bottom. They are highly valued for their flesh and eggs (caviar), but most species are critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat degradation.2
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