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Acipenser transmontanus  Richardson, 1836

White sturgeon
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2100
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Acipenser transmontanus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Acipenser transmontanus (White sturgeon)
Acipenser transmontanus
Picture by Jean-Francois Helias / Fishing Adventures Thailand


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: White sturgeon, White sturgeon
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref: Jordan, D.S. and E.C. Starks, 1895
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Common in Puget Sound, Washington in 1895 (Ref. 28609). Also Ref. 4925, 6885. Status of threat: endangered. Criteria: 1,2 (http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/afs/) (Ref. 81264).
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) > Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) > Acipenserinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 610 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1998); common length : 21.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 816.0 kg (Ref. 27436); max. reported age: 104 years (Ref. 39377)

Length at first maturity
Lm 160.0  range ? - ? cm

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 122 m (Ref. 27547)

Climate / Range

Subtropical; ? - 23°C (Ref. 1998), preferred 16°C (Ref. 107945); 58°N - 24°N, 163°W - 107°W (Ref. 54269)

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: Alaska Bay to Monterey, California, USA. Landlocked in Columbia River drainage, Montana, and perhaps Lake Shasta in California, USA. Translocated to lower Colorado River, Arizona in USA. Reported from northern Baja California, Mexico (Ref. 2850, 27436). Considered vulnerable in Canada (Ref. 6866). International trade restricted (CITES II, since 1.4.98).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 44-48; Anal soft rays: 28 - 31. Distinguished by the 2 rows of 4 to 8 bony plates on a midventral line between the anus and anal fin, and about 45 rays in the dorsal fin (Ref. 27547). Gray or brownish above, paler below; fins gray (Ref. 27547). Barbels situated closer to snout tip than to mouth; no obvious scutes behind dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 86798).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Spends most of its time in the sea, usually close to shore (Ref. 27547). Enters estuaries of large rivers and moves far inland to spawn (Ref. 5723). Individuals larger than 48.3 cm feed mainly on fishes; smaller ones feed mainly on chironomids, but also takes small crustaceans, other insects and mollusks (Ref. 1998). Feeding ceases just before spawning (Ref. 1998). Excellent food fish that is sold fresh, smoked or frozen (Ref. 9988). Eggs marketed as caviar (Ref. 1998). In the past, the airbladder was made into isinglass (Ref. 27547).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Harmless



Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

Age/Size
Growth
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Length-length
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Morphometrics
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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
3.3   ±0.1 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=11-34; tmax=104)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Very high vulnerability (87 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Unknown