The Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) is a marine (saltwater) fish in the Acipenseridae family.
The Atlantic Sturgeon is elongated, similar to a shark. It has smooth scaleless skin, whereas most fish have scales. It has five lateral rows of bony plates called scutes.
It grows up to 460 centimetres (181 inches) long.
It is found in eastern American waters from Canada to Florida. The young stay in brackish water before moving into the ocean.
The Atlantic Sturgeon feeds on animals that live on the bottom of the sea, such as crabs. It is a bottom-feeder.
It breeds over stone or gravel in strong currents in river channels. The female lays more than 100,000 eggs, called roe. People eat roe, which is alos called caviar. The female lays the eggs upstream. The eggs hatch after 8-15 days into larval fish. The water current carries the larval fish downstream near the coastline where they stay until they are about 6 years old. Then they move into the ocean.
The Atlantic Sturgeon lives, on average, for 50-60 years.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM