Gulf Sturgeon: Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi
Appearance:
What is there to appreciate about a big fish? Plenty, say
scientists who study the Gulf sturgeon. The Gulf sturgeon grows to
greater than six feet in length, sports bony plates on its head and
body, has fleshy "whiskers" on its long snout, and no internal
skeleton. This ancient fish evolved from much larger ancestors that
lived more than 225 million years ago. Gulf sturgeon may live for
more than 40 years, not reaching sexual maturity until seven or
eight years of age or later.
Habitat:
Sturgeon are anadromous, a term used to describe fish that spend
a part of their lives in saltwater, yet travel upstream in
freshwater rivers to spawn. Such fish return year after year to the
same stream where they were hatched. For Gulf sturgeon, which are
found from Florida to Louisiana, this means a move from salt to
fresh water between February and April and a move downriver between
September and November. They spend the winter in the Gulf of Mexico
in sandy-bottom habitats six to 100 feet deep, where their diet
consists of marine worms, grass shrimp, crabs and a variety of
other bottom-dwelling organisms. They eat very little while in
freshwater rivers.
Behavior:
Little is known about the early life stages of the Gulf sturgeon
throughout its range. After the late 1800s, Gulf
sturgeon populations declined dramatically, a result of the high
demand for their delicious meat and valuable roe, and dam
construction, dredging activity and other man-made habitat
alterations. The decline prompted state and federal officials to
place the sturgeon on the protected species lists in the 1980s and
1990s and to enact a harvesting and possession ban. Today, the
free-flowing, spring-fed Suwannee River supports the largest and
most robust population of Gulf sturgeon in the state and the wider
Gulf of Mexico region. Adults spawn on scoured limestone substrates
in the upper reaches of this 200-mile long river. As they swim
along, sturgeon occasionally leap out of the water. Every spring
and summer, lucky boaters and campers along the Suwannee River
witness this spectacle. Power boaters can reduce the risk of injury
to themselves and the fish by boating slower during the appropriate
time of year. This also increases the chance of seeing the sturgeon
and other wildlife along the way.
State Record:
N/A
Fishing Tips and Facts:
Additional Information:
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