Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
Last Update/Review: August 6, 2002
A living "dinosaur" of the fish world, this unusual species is torpedo-shaped and armor-plated. Instead of scales, the sturgeon's large brown or grey body is covered with tough, leather-like tissue and five rows of bony plates. It has a shark-like, upturned tail and a pointed snout with four barbels, or tissue filaments.
These leathery giants can live up to 100 years, the longest life span of Alberta's cool-water fishes. The biggest sturgeon reported in Alberta weighed 48 kg (105 lbs) and was 155 cm (61 inches) in length. Despite its name, the lake sturgeon is strictly a river fish in Alberta. It occurs in the North and South Saskatchewan river systems.
Sturgeon do not spawn until they are about 15 years old. Spawning then takes place in late spring, every five years or so. Large females produce up to 500 000 eggs.
The sturgeon is mostly a bottom feeder. Its varied diet includes tiny organisms such as insect larvae, plant material, clams and some fish and fish eggs.
Sturgeon fishing is very restricted to preserve this unusual and interesting species. See the Sturgeon Management Plan for an explanation of current management strategies.
