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Sturgeons are ancient, prehistoric fish that have existed in North America for thousands of years. They are anadromous fish, meaning they are born in freshwater and travel to the sea, but swim back up the rivers to their spawning grounds to mate and lay eggs. Due to settlers in North America, overfishing for caviar, habitat destruction, and water pollution have also caused the Atlantic Sturgeon to become a rare sight in many coastal and freshwaters along the East Coast.
This page goes in detail about the phylogeny and taxonomy of the Atlantic Sturgeon.
This page covers multiple organisms in the sturgeon's environment, as well as the niche and roles that those organisms play.
This page covers the digestion, endocrine, and cardiovascular system of the sturgeon, as well as other biology terms.
This page is a general overlook about the sturgeon's conservation status, IUCN listing, and groups advocating for the protection of the sturgeon or its environment.
Introduction
Introduction
This species (oxyrhynchus) live in rivers and coastal waters from Canada to Florida and swim to the benthic sea for survival and food. They swim back in adulthood to lay eggs in their original birthplace. They can grow up to 15 feet in length and live up to 60 years old! North Carolina has many freshwater rivers that stem and flow directly into Cape Fear, a cape along the Atlantic Ocean. There is a high probability that sturgeon may live here, although their presence is hard to find! They are most seen and recorded in South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Delaware, New York, and Canada.
Atlantic sturgeon are bottom-feeders; They ingest crustaceans, worms, mollusks, and other bottom-dwelling fish like a sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus). They have a vacuum-like mouth, and their jaw structure allows them to eat a better variety of food.
Their bony structure (scutes) makes them a less-valued target of predation, which may have been a critical feature in evolution to protect them as a species from other carnivores.
Sturgeons have been around since the Cretaceous period.
“The recent discovery in France of A. oxyrinchus in archaeological sites along the Atlantic coast has led to the creation of an inventory of bony sturgeon remains all over France, and the review of specific determinations according to morphological criteria.” (Berset, 2011)
The meaning of “oxyrinchus” means “sharp-snouted” or “sharp-nosed” and is also a significant archaeological city in Egypt!
Historically, sturgeon have been prized for their eggs as high-quality caviar. The Black Gold Rush was a wave of fishing and eating caviar from sturgeon in the 1800s in North America. Around 7 million pounds of sturgeon were recorded in 1807, but as of 1989, only 400 pounds have been recorded.
Loose nets, water pollution, dams, and other blockages in the water make it hard for sturgeon to survive by swimming to and from the coast.
Roanoke River, Virginia
Roanoke River, Virginia
"Paddlers on the Roanoke River pass under the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad." (Simpson, 2022)
Species like the Atlantic Sturgeon were once thought to travel back to rivers in late winter to early spring, but spawning times have recently been spotted in Roanoke Rivers as far as September and October. Clear and flowing freshwater is necessary for reproduction; even the river rocks and wood chips are needed for eggs to attach and hatch.
Cape Fear, North Carolina
Cape Fear, North Carolina
The Cape Fear connects directly to the Atlantic Ocean through multiple waterways, and the Haw River and the Deep River flow and connect to stem directly into the Cape, over 200 miles. These waterways provide sustenance to multiple cities and towns in North Carolina. They must be protected alongside the sturgeon, as the ecosystem and the organisms within rely on each other to survive.
Why Does This Matter?
Why Does This Matter?
A prehistoric fish that has survived multiple mass extinctions and events in world history shouldn’t be pushed to extinction in this age due to the overwhelming destruction of individuals and companies. The sturgeon, like many other animals, deserves to be an advocate for its survival, and the ocean and rivers worked to be restored and protected.
The Deeper Meaning
The Deeper Meaning
As I research the scientific and biological components of the sturgeon, I also find just how significant this animal is to me as an Indigenous (non-binary/Two-Spirit) person. The success of the sturgeon is the success of my people as a cultural and sacred animal. Whatever is taken needs something to replace and fulfill the space, but there was no giving back when the Atlantic Sturgeon was poached to mass endangerment. This website aims to further educate myself and others about the Atlantic Sturgeon on a scientific level and raise awareness for its conservation.
(Left Picture: June, 2018.
Right Picture: November, 2018)
Home Page Works Cited
Home Page Works Cited
Fisheries, N. O. A. A. (2023, January 30). Atlantic Sturgeon. NOAA. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-sturgeon
McNally, B. (2022, January 7). Idaho biologists catch and release three 10-foot, 500-plus Pound sturgeon. Outdoor Life. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/idaho-biologists-catch-and-release-huge-white-sturgeon/
Haw River Assembly. The Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.chesapeakecommons.org/partner-stories/haw-river-assembly-waterreporter
Eric Hilton (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), & Dewayne Fox (Agriculture and Natural Resources, C. of A. and R. S. (2019, September 14). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja/species/245/2785934#population
Simpson, B., Klingstedt, C., Woltz, R., Ginsburg, E., & Staff, O. S. (2022, August 1). The mighty roanoke river: A photo essay. Our State. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.ourstate.com/the-mighty-roanoke-river-a-photo-essay/
Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Oxyrinchus): U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. FWS.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://www.fws.gov/species/atlantic-sturgeon-acipenser-oxyrinchus-oxyrinchus
Eric Hilton (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), & Dewayne Fox (Agriculture and Natural Resources, C. of A. and R. S. (2019, September 14). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/ja/species/245/2785934
Cape fear river. Life Depends on Rivers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://www.americanrivers.org/river/cape-fear-river/
Did you know: This octopus (Vitreledonella richardi) is the Glass Octopus! Vary rarely seen, and lives at deep ocean depths.Learn more at Monterey Bay
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