The Ancient Survivor: Sturgeon

The prehistoric-looking fish captured here is a Sturgeon (Acipenser spp.). As a biologist who has studied fish for decades, I'm always in awe of this species' longevity and ancient lineage, which dates back to the dinosaur era. They are a family of fish known for their bony plates, called scutes, which run along their bodies in five distinct rows.

Sturgeons are primarily bottom-dwellers, using their sensitive barbels, or whiskers, to detect small fish and invertebrates on the river or lakebed. They are found in freshwater and coastal marine environments across the Northern Hemisphere. Unfortunately, many sturgeon species are critically endangered due to overfishing for their meat and eggs, which are processed into a delicacy known as caviar. Conservation efforts are crucial for the survival of these living fossils.