The European sea sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), kent as the Atlantic sturgeon, Baltic sturgeon or common sturgeon forby, is a species o sturgeon foond on maist coasts o Europe. It is currently a critically endangered species.[1]
The wedge-shaped heid o this sturgeon ends in a lang pynt. There are mony sensitive barbels on the facial aurie. The dorsal fins are locatit very far back on the body. Five longitudinal lines o muckle osseous plates are foond on the body o the fish. The belly is yellae an the back is brounish-grey.
This sturgeon can reach 6 m (20 ft) and 400 kg (880 lb) in weicht, but a mair common length is 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in).[2] Thay can reach an age o 100 years,[2] an hae a late sexual maturity (12 tae 14 years for the males an 16 tae 18 years for the females).
Thay are foond on the coasts o Europe, except the Black Sea an hae even been kent tae cross the Atlantic Ocean tae the coasts o North Americae. Like mony ither sturgeons, thay spawn in the rivers aff the coast. Despite their estimatit range o distribution, thay hae acome so rare that thay only breed in the Garonne river basin in Fraunce.
Sib tae ither sturgeons, European sea sturgeons eat shells an crustaceans which thay find wi their barbels.
At the beginnin o the 19th century, these fish wur uised extensively tae produce caviar, but hae been a protectit species in Europe syne 1982.