Japanese sturgeon

Japanese sturgeon
Conservation status
	; Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
	CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acipenseriformes
Family:	Acipenseridae
Genus:	Acipenser
Species:	A. schrenckii
Binomial name
	Acipenser schrenckii; von Brandt 1869
Synonyms
	Acipenser baeri schrencki von Brandt 1869; Sturio schrenckii (von Brandt 1869); Acipenser multiscutatus Tanaka 1908;

The Japanese sturgeon or Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae found in the Amur River basin in China and Russia. Claims of its presence in the Sea of Japan need confirmation.^[5] The species has 11–16 dorsal, 34–47 lateral, and 7–16 ventral scutes. Their dorsal fins have 38–53 rays and 20–35 anal fin rays. They also have greyish-brown backs and pale ventral sides. The species can reach up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length, and weigh over 190 kilograms (420 lb).^[6] The species is considered to be critically endangered.^[1]

Habitat and ecology

The Japanese sturgeon is benthic. Their main food sources are aquatic insect larvae, bony fish and mollusks. One study suggests that the type of aquatic insect larvae eaten by juvenile Japanese sturgeon depends on the season, where mayfly nymphs are eaten more frequently in spring and fall, and midge larvae are eaten more frequently in summer.^[7] The females mature at 9–10 years of age, and males at 7–8 years. They start to migrate in the autumn. They live for 65 years.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b Qiwei, W.; Mugue, N. (2022). "Acipenser schrenckii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T228A146104223. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T228A146104223.en. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
^ Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Acipenseridae". FishBase version (02/2017). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
^ "Acipenseridae" (PDF). Deeplyfish- fishes of the world. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acipenser schrenckii". FishBase. January 2013 version.
^ ^a ^b Description and distribution Archived 10 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
^ Li, Lei; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Jinfeng; Ma, Bo (4 May 2020). "Seasonal variation in diet of juvenile Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii in the lower reaches of the Songhua River, Northeast China". Journal of Applied Ichthyology. 36 (3): 275–281. Bibcode:2020JApIc..36..275L. doi:10.1111/jai.14041. ISSN 0175-8659. S2CID 218914637.

Habitat and ecology

References

Further reading