![]() ![]() Humans have harvested these fish for their meat and eggs for hundreds of years. Some common prey items include crabs, flounder, anchovy, salmon, clams, worms, mussels, crayfish, and more. Instead it creates a suction with its mouth. ![]() When this fish finds a potential meal, it does not bite at it. Because of this, they primarily forage along the bottom when searching for prey. Similar to stingrays, these fish’s mouths sit well underneath their head. Sadly, many species have severely reduced populations and live in just a fraction of their former range. Some live across vast regions, while others live in just a small area. Each species has its own unique range and distribution. They range from subtropical regions to subarctic regions. Distribution of the SturgeonĪll of the various species live north of the Equator. Within their ecosystem, they spend most of their time foraging near the bottom. However, most species live primarily in saltwater or brackish water, and migrate to freshwater to spawn. They inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds, and other freshwater ecosystems. Some species live in freshwater habitats. Overfishing also prevents younger fish from reaching their full size. Over time, they have removed all the largest fish from the gene pool, and reduced the overall size of the population. For hundreds of years, fishermen have targeted the largest possible individuals. Shrinking Size – Another impact of human pressure on these creatures is their declining size.This means that, when humans kill off the adults in the population, it takes many years for the younger fish to reach breeding age and replenish their numbers. From the time of hatching, it takes between 15 and 20 years for a fish to begin reproducing. Slow Reproduction – Unfortunately for these fish, their breeding process is quite slow.Caviar demand has caused the populations of most species to severely plummet. They use their eggs as caviar, and also market their meat as well. Caviar – Humans hunt these fish extensively.The Sturgeons swimming today are quite similar to those that swam alongside the dinosaurs! Ancient Animals – Researchers sometimes refer to these fish as “living fossils.” This is because over millions of years of evolution, these fish have not changed very drastically. ![]() Learn why this is so, and what makes these fish so unique, below. This massive fish faces severe threat from human interaction. or more and weigh over 3,000 pounds! Researchers believe that several hundred years ago these fish reached those sizes readily, but overfishing has drastically reduced their populations and longevity. Their rostrum, or snout, protrudes distinctly outward and upward. These plates, known as “scutes,” lie in rows across their scaleless skin. Across the many species, these fish have large, stout bodies and skin protected with several rows of bony plates. ![]()
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