Bastard sturgeon

Ship sturgeon
Conservation status
Critically Endangered(IUCN 3.1)
CITESAppendix II(CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acipenseriformes
Family:	Acipenseridae
Genus:	Acipenser
Species:	A. nudiventris
Binomial name
Acipenser nudiventris Lovetsky1828
Synonyms
Acipenser schypusGüldenstädt 1772 ex Bonnaterre 1788 Acipenser turritusFitzinger & Heckel 1836 Acipenser glaberFitzinger 1836 Lioniscus glaber(Fitzinger 1836) Acipenser nudiventris derjaviniBorzenko 1950 Acipenser shipusLovetzky 1834 non Güldenstädt 1772 Euacipenser nudiventris(Lovetsky 1828)

Thebastard sturgeon,also known as thefringebarbel sturgeon,ship sturgeon,spiny sturgeon,orthorn sturgeon(Acipenser nudiventris),is a species of fish in the familyAcipenseridae.These fish are typically found along thebenthosof shallower waters near shorelines orestuaries.

Feeding

Acipenser nudiventristypically feed on other animals near thebenthosincluding: insect larvae,mollusks,crustaceans,and other smaller fish.

Reproduction

Acipenser nudiventrisare usuallyanadromous—meaning they live in saltwater and travel to freshwaters to deposit eggs—but some can spend their entire life cycle in freshwater.Because they travel from saltwater to freshwater to spawn, they often live nearby estuaries.Migration to freshwaters for deposition of eggs occurs during spring between the months of March and May, and fall between October and November.On average, female bastard sturgeon produce between 200,000 and 300,000 eggs over the course of their lifetime.The youngAcipenser nudiventriscan live in freshwater for years following birth prior to traveling to the sea, though many migrate to the sea soon after birth.The average time between birth of subsequentAcipenser nudiventrisis around 15 years; variation in generation time of this species is somewhat dependent on human fishing patterns and whether the species is thriving in its environment.

Conservation status

Formerly abundant in theBlack,AralandCaspian seas,its range is now primarily limited to theUral River(inRussiaandKazakhstan), with possiblerelictpopulations in theRioni RiverinGeorgiaand theSafid RudinIran.One of the most established populations is one inLake BalkhashinKazakhstan,well outside its natural range, where they were introduced in the 1930s for commercial purposes.A decline in the abundance ofAcipenser nudiventrishas been reported due to overfishing and damming, which have led to limitations placed on fishing for bastard sturgeon in areas such as the Ural River.In order to alleviate concerns with rapidly decreasingAcipenser nudiventris,an effort was made to raise these fish in captivity before releasing them back into rivers they once inhabited.

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