Atlantic Sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrhynchus

The Atlantic sturgeon is an ancient-looking fish with a brown, tan or bluish-black body and a grayish-white belly. Adults have:

• Five rows of bony plates, called scutes, covering the head and body.
• A long, hard snout that turns upward at the tip.
• A soft, toothless mouth and four sensory barbels on the underside of the snout.

Atlantic sturgeon usually grow to about 6 to 10 feet, but can be as long as 14 feet and weigh as much as 600 pounds.

Where does the Atlantic sturgeon live?

Atlantic sturgeon travel through the Chesapeake Bay in April and May on their way to the Bay's freshwater rivers, which serve as spawning and nursery areas. They are most often found in Virginia waters. In autumn, Atlantic sturgeon leave the Bay to spend the winter in coastal ocean waters.

Atlantic sturgeon used to be common throughout the Bay and its tributaries but are now very rare.

Watch this video to see an Atlantic sturgeon swimming through the Bay:

What does the Atlantic sturgeon eat?

Atlantic sturgeon are bottom-feeders, using their snouts to root through the mud to find their prey. They feed on a variety of benthic creatures, including crustaceans, clams and other mollusks, and worms and other insects.

How does the Atlantic sturgeon reproduce?

Atlantic sturgeon are anadromous fish. They spawn in April and May in the fresh to brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay's tidal tributaries.

• A female Atlantic sturgeon can lay up to two million eggs, which are sticky and adhere to the bottom of the river.
• After laying her eggs, the female Atlantic sturgeon leaves the river, while the male remains there until autumn.
• Once hatched, juvenile Atlantic sturgeon stay in their natal river for several years before moving into the open waters of the Bay, and eventually the ocean.

Other facts about the Atlantic sturgeon:

• Sturgeons are prehistoric fish that have been around since the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
• The largest Atlantic sturgeon ever recorded was 14 feet long and weighed 811 pounds.
• Atlantic sturgeon can live for more than 60 years.
• To protect the remaining Atlantic sturgeon in their waters, all Atlantic coast states have adopted a complete moratorium on the fish and their eggs.