(synonyms, obsolete names: pestryuga, shevryuga)
Appearance. Stellate sturgeon is a fish of the sturgeon family, which has a very characteristic appearance due to the highly elongated shape of the nose or snout, the length of which is about 60% of the entire length of the head. The antennae are short, without fringe. The dorsal fin has 40-54 rays, the anal fin has 22-35. Dorsal bugs - 9-16, lateral bugs - 26-43, ventral bugs - 9-14. The sides of the body between the rows of bugs are covered with star-shaped plates. There are 24-29 gill rakers.

The back is usually blackish-brown, the sides are light, and the belly is white.
In terms of size, the stellate sturgeon is somewhat inferior to other sturgeons ( beluga, sturgeon), except sterlet and thorn , which are smaller. Average weight stellate sturgeon varies in different rivers and reservoirs and is, on average, about 7- 10 kilograms , however, some individuals reach a length of more than two meters and weight 80 kg . The maximum sizes that this species reached in the past, according to ancient remains, are 270 cm ; in the twentieth century the most large specimen stellate sturgeon had a length 218 cm and weight 54 kg . The usual sizes of the Volga sturgeon in the late 1960s and early 70s of the last century ranged from 126 to 152 cm and weight from 6.2 to 12.7 kg.

Like all sturgeons, stellate sturgeon is a long-lived freshwater fish. According to archaeological materials, the maximum recorded age of the stellate sturgeon was 41 years, for modern fish - 35 years.

Lifestyle.Migratory fish. In the Caspian Sea, it is distributed mainly along the western coast, in the area from the Astrakhan Spit to the Absheron Peninsula, occurring at depths from 100 to 300 m . In spring, it gradually migrates to the Northern Caspian Sea, where it lives at a depth of 3 to 15 m.

Nutrition.The main food of stellate sturgeon in the Caspian Sea is the polychaete worm Nereis diversicolor, acclimatized here, as well as crustaceans. The Azov sturgeon feeds on worms, amphipods, mysids and small fish(gobies, anchovy).

Reproduction.Migration to rivers begins later than for other sturgeons (beluga and Russian sturgeon). It begins to spawn in the Volga in mid-April at a water temperature of 6-9 ° C, the peak of the run is in May at a temperature of 10-15 ° C (spring form). In June the course weakens. The intensity of the course increases again in August, September and October (winter form). Migration ends in December. The spring form predominates in numbers. The Volga sturgeon reaches sexual maturity at the age of 9-12 years (males) and 11-15 years (females). Azov sturgeon (Don River) matures earlier: males - at 7-8 years, females - at 9-11 years. The spawning grounds of stellate sturgeon in rivers are lower than those of beluga and Russian sturgeon. The fertility of the Volga stellate sturgeon ranges from 106-466 thousand eggs, the Ural - from 48 thousand to 950 thousand, the Don - from 90 to 537 thousand eggs. Spawning in the Volga stretches from May to August and occurs in a wide temperature range - from 12 to 26 ° C. The development of eggs at a temperature of 16 ° C lasts 132 hours, at 23 ° C - 67.5 hours. After spawning, adult stellate sturgeon and hatched juveniles They do not stay in rivers and roll into the sea.

Spreading. Caspian, Black, Azov and Adriatic (rare) seas, from where it enters rivers for reproduction. The main sevruga rivers are the Volga, Ural, Terek, Kura, Don, Kuban; along the Volga it used to rise to the city of Rybinsk, along the Ural - to Uralsk, along the Don - to Pavlovsk, along the Kuban - to Armavir. In the 1930s, an attempt was made to acclimatize the stellate sturgeon to the Aral Sea, but it was unsuccessful. In the picture of the range, lost areas of the range are indicated in red; places are marked with crosses archaeological finds remnants of stellate sturgeon.

In the 19th century, the distribution area of ​​this fish species was wider and extended from Siberia to Western Europe. According to the testimony of the famous Russian zoologist and expert on hunting and fishing Leonid Pavlovich Sabaneev (1844-1898), it could be found even in the rivers of Austria, Germany and Italy. This is probably where the famous dish comes from Italian cuisine, known as “Sevruga in Italian”.

Economic importance. The most valuable commercial fish. In the sturgeon fishery it shares 1-2 place with Russian sturgeon. The main production area is the Northern Caspian Sea, where stellate sturgeon catches in the 70s of the last century ranged from 10.0 to 13.2 thousand tons. The bulk of it was caught in the Urals: from 7.0 to 9.9 thousand tons.

Along with its closest relatives sturgeon, beluga and sterlet, sturgeon ranks among all fish species in terms of its culinary value. Since ancient times, the tender, soft and healthy meat of this fish has been considered a delicacy. Stellate sturgeon caviar has also been highly valued for several centuries. For a long time The export of caviar to Europe brought considerable income to Russia.

Until recently, commercial production of stellate sturgeon occupied an important place in the fishing industry of our country. However, over the past few decades, the number of this species has declined sharply and is now on the verge of extinction.

Security status. IN last years The numbers and catches of this species began to decline sharply. If in 1985 . According to the All-Caspian survey, the total number of sturgeon sturgeon (one year old and older) in the Caspian basin was 75.9 million specimens, then to 1994 . it fell to 13.5 million copies. (almost 6 times). Stellate sturgeon is included in the IUCN Red List.

Description of stellate sturgeon from the book by L.P. Sabaneev "Fishes of Russia. Life and fishing of our freshwater fish" (1875)

The stellate sturgeon is easily distinguished from all other sturgeon by its unusually long nose, which is almost dagger-shaped and gives it a very strange appearance. Her forehead is rather convex, her antennae are smooth and narrow, not reaching her mouth, on which the lower lip is poorly developed; its body is also elongated and all the bugs on the body are quite closely packed; dorsal (12-18) and lateral (30-40) rise towards the posterior end and are elongated into uncinate processes; abdominal bugs (10-12) are relatively very developed.

The body color is red-brown with a bluish-black tint, the sides and belly are white. The length and shape of the nose, however, vary greatly; so in females and young it is always shorter, and in the Sea of ​​Azov sturgeon, which generally reach their greatest growth here, are distinguished by a short snout, which, moreover, has a slightly different shape (var. donensis). Probably, the so-called pestryuga, which fishermen in the southwestern provinces consider a special breed from the stellate sturgeon, also belongs to this variety; she, however, has bugs (brackets) more often located, and she rarely reaches 16 kg . In general, in terms of size and weight, this fish occupies the middle between sterlet and sturgeon. With the same weight, stellate sturgeon is always significantly longer than other sturgeon fish, and the 24-kilogram stellate sturgeon (Grimm) has a length of up to 2 m.

The area of ​​distribution of stellate sturgeon is even more limited than the distribution of beluga, which occasionally enters the Mediterranean Sea, as well as sturgeon, which is found in Western Siberia, and especially sterlet. Caspian and Black Sea, especially Azov, and big rivers, flowing into them, constitute the only habitat of this fish, which, nevertheless, in its numbers significantly exceeds its relatives, with the exception of one sterlet. IN the greatest number Stellate sturgeon enters the Urals, Kura, Kuban, Dniester and Bug, but nowhere, however, does it rise very high; in the Urals it rarely goes above Uralsk, in the Volga - above Samara and Simbirsk, and in extremely rare cases it is seen in the upper Volga (up to Yaroslavl and Rybinsk) and in the Kama (up to Chistopol); in other tributaries of the Volga, it apparently does not exist at all; in Kuban it is very numerous and goes higher than Laba and even mosques in the latter; from the southern part of the Caspian Sea it enters all rivers, even small ones, such as the Atrek. It was noticed on the Don as far as Pavlovsk; in the Dnieper, it rarely rises above the rapids and is almost never caught near Kiev. Finally, in the Danube, where it, however, occurs in relatively small quantities; The stellate sturgeon is almost never seen in Austria, although it does enter the Drau and Theis.

In terms of size, the stellate sturgeon is significantly inferior to the sturgeon and is never more than 5- 5.5 m length and 47 kg weight. The average weight of this fish in the Caspian Sea is 5.2- 5.6 kg , in the Sea of ​​Azov, where it is more numerous, - 8 kg.

The rarity of stellate sturgeon in the upper reaches of rivers depends partly on the fact that it rises up during the flood itself, when fishing generally becomes extremely difficult, but mainly on its spawning in the lower reaches and a very short stay in fresh water. Having spawned, in contrast to the sturgeon and especially the beluga, which “fatten” in the river for some time and roll down very slowly, with long stops, the stellate sturgeon immediately returns back to the sea; As for its autumn flow into the river, it is almost always much less than the spring flow and does not extend further than the lower reaches, and then only in the Urals. Most of the stellate sturgeon spend the winter at sea or in front of estuaries, rarely in river basins, and its main catch is in the open sea.

Here it thus stays most of the year, and fresh water is of less importance to it than to other red fish. However, it rarely occurs on large sea ​​depths and, apparently, chooses here, like sturgeons, places abounding in shells, which constitute its exclusive food. Stellate sturgeon almost never feeds on fish. Nevertheless, in the speed and agility of its movements it surpasses all red fish: the first onslaught of the stellate sturgeon, as fishermen note, is always faster than that of the beluga, and it rises up the river in the spring at a considerable speed, so that 25 minutes pass per day. 30 kilometers . Down it usually rolls sideways, leaving itself to the will of the current.

This autumn movement of stellate sturgeon always begins later than the movement of beluga and sturgeon. In the Caspian Sea it starts at the end of March or at the beginning of April; Its main catch occurs in the Urals in the 2nd half of this month, around April 23. At this time, it enters the river in large schools and goes shallow, closer to the surface, sticking to the banks and keeping its nose up. This first stop of the stellate sturgeon to the shores is known among the Ural Cossacks under the name of the Yegoryevsky hare. Its second exit from the sea is already significantly inferior to the first and is called the Nikolsky hare. According to Severtsev, the first year the sturgeon goes from the sea to the lower reaches of the Urals and spawns there, then rolls down into the sea and in the fall goes back to the lower reaches, winters there, rises a little higher and, having spawned here in the spring, rolls down into the sea again and winters on the sea spawn etc. Thus, the stellate sturgeon spawns, like a sterlet, every year. It enters the Don in March and April.

Judging by the fact that sturgeon sturgeon are not found in the river or are very rare in 3.2 kg weight and 70 cm growth, one must assume that only such fish reach sexual maturity; yet the lesser ones remain in the sea. At least young stellate sturgeon stay in rivers for a very short time, and even then they are found exclusively in the very lower reaches; for example, they were noticed in 46 kilometers higher than Guryev (in the Urals).

The spawning time of stellate sturgeon almost coincides with the spawning time of sterlet - precisely in the Volga (near Simbirsk), according to Ovsyannikov, it happens around May 10; in the Urals it sweeps from early May to mid-June, mainly at the end of May. This circumstance explains why, of the sturgeon crossbreeds, the so-called sturgeon is most often seen. sterlet thorn, i.e. a cross between stellate sturgeon and sterlet. On the Don, stellate sturgeon spawning occurs in early May. According to Potekhin, in the Saratov waters the sturgeon spawns on the right bank of the Volga in the stones. Saratov fishermen claim that the female, when throwing eggs, beats hard and rubs against the stones.

Sevruga caviar is very numerous and on average there are about 400,000 eggs the size of a large shot. In general, stellate sturgeon, with the same weight as other red fish, produces a relatively larger amount of caviar. The actual spawning takes place, as has already been noted, in the very lower reaches of rivers, sometimes even, apparently, almost in the sea itself, which, however, is an abnormal phenomenon caused by the abundance of false mouths of the Ural River. According to fishermen, sturgeon always scurry in large schools, in much greater numbers than other red fish, and at this time they crowd and often jump out of the water. However, the stellate sturgeon, having already stopped for spawning and worried about something, often goes back to the sea, although it probably returns again. Young stellate sturgeons grow to 27- 36 cm (fishing measure), and it must be assumed that this fish becomes capable of reproduction in the 4th year.

Stellate sturgeon are caught, of course, in the lower reaches of rivers, mainly in the Don, Ural and then the Volga, exclusively in the spring and with floating nets. Autumn and especially winter fishing for them is of much less importance, and in the Urals they are never caught like fat red fish, which rise much higher for the winter. Then, stellate sturgeon are also caught with seines, trains, yarygs, seines, etc. It is remarkable that in the last century relative amount of these fish has increased significantly in comparison with the number of sturgeons. This circumstance, in our opinion, can be explained very simply - by the fact that the sturgeon does not rise as high for spawning as other sturgeons, and (also the fry) soon goes back to the sea.

The strange appearance of the stellate sturgeon with a convex forehead, narrow smooth antennae, and a long nose, the length and shape of which changes with age, amazes the imagination. It is quite reasonable that when you see such a dish on a ceremonial table, you feel interest and curiosity - what does this taste like? sea ​​creature, and how is it useful?

Benefits, properties and composition of stellate sturgeon

Seafood, and fish in particular, have high nutritional value.

This is thanks to fish protein, the connective tissue of which is represented mainly by collagen, which easily turns into a soluble form - gelatin. This is why fish is easily boiled and nutrients are absorbed most fully. Fish proteins are 95% digestible, while meat proteins are 89%.

Sturgeon fish species, which include, along with fish of the salmon order, are the richest in protein.

High the nutritional value stellate sturgeon is also due to the increased content of polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6, which have high physiological activity. These fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, somewhat contribute to weight loss.

Any fish is also rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iodine and fluorine, B vitamins, and fish liver is also rich in vitamins A, D, E.

Sevruga caviar

Sevruga caviar is very abundant compared to other red fish of the same weight. On average there are about 400,000 eggs with delicate skin.

Sevruga caviar has a persistent dark gray color and is relatively small in size.

According to the tradition of Russian caviar factories, stellate sturgeon caviar is packaged in jars with red lids.

In terms of commercial value, stellate sturgeon caviar ranks third after beluga and sturgeon caviar.

Sturgeon caviar is valued depending on the size and color of the grain. Large, light-colored caviar is more valuable - just like that of beluga.

Sevruga caviar is small, the diameter of the eggs is 1.5-1.8 millimeters.

Once you have tasted stellate sturgeon caviar, you can no longer confuse it with any other – its taste is so pronounced.

Harm and contraindications to consuming stellate caviar

Market caviar is usually too salty and wet, because excess moisture is not removed during processing, which affects the weight of the original product.

Transportation and storage of poached caviar also leaves much to be desired.

The microbiological indicators of such caviar indicate that its nutritional and healing effects are insignificant.

Now about the market craftsmen. You can mix a substance into a jar of caviar, which causes the caviar to swell, making the jar look overfilled with the product. But in fact, the true volume of the calf did not even reach the first edge of the neck.

A product of such insignificant quality can, of course, be purchased in a store, but, nevertheless, by making a purchase in a store and having a confirming receipt in hand, you can easily return a low-quality product. It would be more profitable for the store director to return the money than to argue on his own head.

In general, the therapeutic properties of black caviar are greatly exaggerated. It makes no sense to purchase it for a person weakened by illness. It is better to spend this amount on fish oil with the addition of Omega-3 and good vitamins.

And black caviar is simply a chic delicacy and a gastronomic delicacy for splurging.

Sevruga in weight loss

Among all sturgeon fish species, stellate sturgeon has the least fat (up to 11%) and the most tender fibrous meat. Although it is classified as fatty varieties fish, the calorie content of one hundred grams of stellate sturgeon is 136 kcal.

Sevruga in cooking, dishes from sevruga

The unusual appearance of stellate sturgeon, reminiscent of the shape of a dagger, thanks to its long nose, makes it an attractive guest on the festive table.

Stellate sturgeon is sold frozen, in the form of balyk, cold and hot smoked.

Steamed stellate sturgeon is excellent, with a vegetable or mushroom side dish, stewed in cream, broth or wine. A sauce made from grated kiwi seeds with a small amount of butter and a few drops of Tabasco sauce, cooked in a steam bath.

Tabasco sauce is very spicy, so be careful not to overdo it. It is prepared from hot chili peppers soaked in vinegar and salt. It is suitable not only for fish, but also for omelettes, stews, soups, and other sauces.

Sevruga baked with onions and mushrooms

Place the fish in a frying pan with a little mushroom sauce and onions poured into it. Place the roasted tomato halves on the fish and pour the same on top mushroom sauce with onions, sprinkle with grated cheese, brush with melted butter and bake.

Fried stellate sturgeon, breaded in breadcrumbs

We cut the fish into portions, bread them first in flour, then soak them in egg and bread them in breadcrumbs.
Deep fry in a large amount of fat, and then put in the oven for five minutes.
Before serving, place a slice of lemon on the fish.
Garnish for this dish - fried potatoes with parsley, tomato, mustard sauce or mayonnaise, served separately in a gravy boat.

Sevruga with mayonnaise

Cool the boiled fish. Boil potatoes, turnips and carrots, peel and cut into small cubes. Stir, add a little lemon juice, and separate one third of the vegetables, season with mayonnaise and place in the middle of the dish. Place cleaned boiled fish on top.
Place the rest of the side dish around the fish and pour mayonnaise over the fish. Decorate with cucumbers, tomatoes, green peas.

Lilia Yurkanis
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Stellate sturgeon- Acipenser stellatus Pall.
Squad: Sturgeons - Acipenseriformes
Family: Sturgeons - Acipenseridae
Status: Listed in the IUCN Red List (category EN). Included in the list of rare species of the Ryazan region.

Appearance of Sevruga

There are 5 rows of bone bugs on the body. The number of bugs in the dorsal row is 9-16, in the lateral rows - 26-43, in the abdominal rows - 9-14. The bugs are elongated into hook-shaped processes. It differs from other sturgeons in its highly elongated sword-shaped snout. The tail is unequally lobed, the upper lobe of the sturgeon tail is larger than the lower one. The color of the body from the back is brown, with a bluish-black tint, the sides and belly are white. Dimensions up to 220 cm, usually 115-150 cm, weight up to 80 kg.

Habitat

Stellate sturgeon distributed in the Caspian, Black and Azov seas, found sporadically in the Adriatic and Aegean seas. They rise to spawn in the Volga, Ural, Kura, Terek, Dniester, Dnieper, Don, Kuban, etc. The main spawning grounds in the Volga are located below the city of Volgograd. Before regulation, it usually rose into the Volga up to the Kama estuary, with some specimens up to Rybinsk. Within the Nizhny Novgorod section of the river it was extremely rare; in 1930 and 1933, sturgeon sturgeon were caught in the Oka near the village. Poles.

Number and trends of its change

In the Volga before regulation stellate sturgeon was the most rare species sturgeon fish. Over the past 50 years, there is no data on sightings of stellate sturgeon within the Nizhny Novgorod region. In the river, the stellate sturgeon sticks to the deepest areas.

Features of biology

Stellate sturgeon is a migratory fish species, but does not rise high into rivers to spawn. Spawning migrations continue from April to July, spawning takes place in areas with a rocky bottom. The eggs are about 3 mm in diameter, black in color, and are attached to pebbles. Egg development takes from 40 to 80 hours. Fertility 35-630 thousand eggs. Males become sexually mature at the age of 9-13 years, females - 11-17 years. Life expectancy is about 30 years. Juvenile stellate sturgeon feed on insect larvae and crustaceans, adults on fish (gobies, herring, sprat), as well as large mollusks and crustaceans. It hardly feeds in fresh water.

Main limiting factors

Pollution of rivers of the Caspian basin. Reduction in the area of ​​spawning grounds as a result of regulation of the Volga.

Protection of sturgeon

Security measures taken: Since the 1950s a year-round fishing ban has been established; in the 1960s migratory fish were transferred from the lower pool to the Volgograd Reservoir. These measures did not produce noticeable positive results.

Necessary security measures: To preserve the stellate sturgeon, as well as other sturgeons, it is necessary to reduce the pollution of the rivers of the Volga basin. Restoration of the species in the fauna of the Nizhny Novgorod region is impossible.

Stellate sturgeon

Acipenser stellatus Pall.
The stellate sturgeon is easily distinguished from all other sturgeon by its unusually long nose, which is almost dagger-shaped and gives it a very strange appearance. Her forehead is rather convex, her antennae are smooth and narrow, not reaching her mouth, on which the lower lip is poorly developed; its body is also elongated and all the bugs on the body are quite closely packed; dorsal (12-18) and lateral (30-40) rise towards the posterior end and are elongated into uncinate processes; abdominal bugs (10-12) are relatively very developed. The body color is red-brown with a bluish-black tint, the sides and belly are white. The length and shape of the nose, however, vary greatly; Thus, in females and young ones it is always shorter, and in the Sea of ​​Azov sturgeon, which generally reach their greatest growth here, are distinguished by a short snout, which, moreover, has a slightly different shape (var. donensis). Probably, the so-called pestryuga, which fishermen in the southwestern provinces consider a special breed from the stellate sturgeon, also belongs to this variety; in her, however, the bugs (bracket) are located more often, and she rarely reaches one pound. In general, in terms of size and weight, this fish occupies the middle between sterlet and sturgeon. With the same weight, stellate sturgeon is always significantly longer than other sturgeon fish, and the one and a half pound stellate sturgeon (Grimm) has a length of up to a fathom.

The area of ​​distribution of stellate sturgeon is even more limited than the distribution of beluga, which occasionally enters the Mediterranean Sea, as well as sturgeon, which is found in Western Siberia, and especially sterlet. The Caspian and Black Seas, especially the Azov Sea, and the large rivers that flow into them, constitute the only habitat of this fish, which, however, is significantly larger in numbers than its relatives, with the exception of one sterlet. Stellate sturgeon is found in the largest quantities in the Urals, Kura, Kuban, Dniester and Bug, but nowhere, however, does it rise very high; in the Urals it rarely goes above Uralsk, in the Volga - above Samara and Simbirsk, and in extremely rare cases it is seen in the upper Volga (up to Yaroslavl and Rybinsk) and in the Kama (up to Chistopol); in other tributaries of the Volga, it apparently does not exist at all; in Kuban it is very numerous and goes higher than Laba and even mosques in the latter; from the southern part of the Caspian Sea it enters all rivers, even small ones, such as. Atrek. It was noticed on the Don as far as Pavlovsk; in the Dnieper, it rarely rises above the rapids and is almost never caught near Kiev. Finally, in the Danube, where it, however, occurs in relatively small quantities; The stellate sturgeon is almost never seen in Austria, although it does enter the Drau and Theis.
In terms of size, stellate sturgeon is significantly inferior to sturgeon and is never more than 7-8 arshins in length and 3 pounds in weight. The average weight of this fish in the Caspian Sea is 13-14 pounds; in the Sea of ​​Azov, where it is more numerous, it is 20 pounds.
The rarity of stellate sturgeon in the upper reaches of rivers depends partly on the fact that it rises up during the flood itself, when fishing in general becomes extremely difficult, but mainly on its spawning in the lower reaches and a very short stay in fresh water. Having spawned, in contrast to the sturgeon and especially the beluga, which “fatten” in the river for some time and roll off very slowly, with long stops, the stellate sturgeon immediately returns back to the sea; As for its autumn flow into the river, it is almost always much less than the spring flow and does not extend further than the lower reaches, and then only in the Urals. Most of the stellate sturgeon spend the winter at sea or in front of estuaries, rarely in river basins, and its main catch is in the open sea.
Here it thus stays most of the year, and fresh water is of less importance to it than to other red fish. However, it is rarely found at great sea depths and, apparently, chooses here, like sturgeons, places abounding in shells, which constitute its exclusive food. Stellate sturgeon almost never feeds on fish. Nevertheless, in the speed and agility of its movements it surpasses all red fish: the first attack of the stellate sturgeon, as fishermen note, is always faster than that of the beluga, and it rises up the river in the spring with considerable speed, so that it travels 25-30 miles per day . Down it usually rolls sideways, leaving itself to the will of the current.
This autumn movement of stellate sturgeon always begins later than the movement of beluga and sturgeon. In the Caspian Sea it starts at the end of March or at the beginning of April; Its main catch is in the Urals in the 2nd half of this month, around April 23. At this time, it enters the river in large schools and goes shallow, closer to the surface, sticking to the banks and keeping its nose up. This first stop of the stellate sturgeon to the shores is known among the Ural Cossacks under the name of the Yegoryevsky hare. Its second exit from the sea is already significantly inferior to the first and is called the Nikolsky hare. According to Severtsev, the first year the sturgeon goes from the sea to the lower reaches of the Urals and spawns there, then rolls down into the sea and in the fall goes back to the lower reaches, winters there, rises a little higher and, having spawned here in the spring, rolls down into the sea again and winters on sea spawn etc. Thus, the stellate sturgeon spawns, like a sterlet, every year. It enters the Don in March and April.
Judging by the fact that in the river there are no or very rare sturgeon sturgeon weighing 8 pounds and a yard in height, one must assume that only such fish reach sexual maturity; yet the lesser ones remain in the sea. At least young stellate sturgeon stay in rivers for a very short time, and even then they are found exclusively in the very lower reaches; for example, they were noticed 46 versts above Guryev (in the Urals).
The spawning time of stellate sturgeon almost coincides with the spawning time of sterlet - precisely in the Volga (near Simbirsk), according to Ovsyannikov, it happens around May 10; in the Urals it sweeps from early May to mid-June, mainly at the end of May. This circumstance explains why, of the sturgeon crossbreeds, the so-called sturgeon is most often seen. sterlet thorn, i.e. a cross between stellate sturgeon and sterlet. On the Don, stellate sturgeon spawning occurs in early May. According to Potekhin, in the Saratov waters the sturgeon spawns on the right bank of the Volga in the stones. Saratov fishermen claim that the female, when throwing eggs, beats hard and rubs against the stones.
Sevruga caviar is very numerous and on average there are about 400,000 eggs the size of a large shot. In general, stellate sturgeon, with the same weight as other red fish, produces a relatively larger amount of caviar. The actual spawning takes place, as has already been noted, in the very lower reaches of rivers, sometimes even, apparently, almost in the sea itself, which, however, is an abnormal phenomenon caused by the abundance of false mouths of the Ural River. According to fishermen, sturgeon always scurry in large schools, in much greater numbers than other red fish, and at this time they crowd and often jump out of the water. However, the stellate sturgeon, having already stopped for spawning and worried about something, often goes back to the sea, although it probably returns again. Young stellate sturgeon per year grow 6-8 vershok (fisher's measure), and it must be assumed that this fish becomes capable of reproduction in the 4th year.
Stellate sturgeon are caught, of course, in the lower reaches of rivers, mainly in the Don, Ural and then the Volga, exclusively in the spring and with floating nets. Autumn and especially winter fishing for them is of much less importance, and in the Urals they are never caught like fat red fish, which rise much higher for the winter. Then, stellate sturgeon are also caught with seines, trains, jars, seines, etc. It is remarkable that in the last century the relative number of these fish has increased significantly in comparison with the number of sturgeons. This circumstance, in our opinion, can be explained very simply - by the fact that the sturgeon does not rise as high for spawning as other sturgeons, and (also the fry) soon goes back to the sea.
The stellate bladder provides the best glue, but the caviar of this fish is valued less than the caviar of sturgeon and beluga.

Life and fishing of freshwater fish. - Kyiv: State Publishing House of Agricultural Literature of the Ukrainian SSR. L. P. Sabaneev. 1959.

Synonyms:

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SEVERYUGA, migratory fish (sturgeon family). Length up to 2.2 m, weight up to 80 kg. Lives in the basins of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Spawning in rivers. Object of fishing and breeding. The population is declining as a result of runoff regulation... ... Modern encyclopedia

Migratory fish of the sturgeon family. Length up to 2.2 m, weighs up to 80 kg. In the basins of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. Spawning in rivers. Object of fishing and breeding. The number is declining as a result of regulation of river flows (main... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

SEVRYUGA, stellate sturgeon, female. Fish from the family sturgeon. Dictionary Ushakova. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Sturgeon species of fish are distinguished by the fact that they live in salty, sea ​​water, and go to spawn in fresh water rivers or other bodies of water. At the same time, it should be noted that sturgeons have representatives of small sizes, from 30 to 100 cm in length and weighing from half a kilogram to 5 kg, as well as representatives that grow up to 10 meters in length, weighing about 3 tons. Catching sturgeon species in our time is a serious fishery, reaching large volumes. Because of this, the population of these fish species is constantly decreasing, and some of the species are prohibited from being caught at all. Sturgeon are valued for their tasty and valuable meat, as well as caviar.

The sturgeon family is distinguished by its elongated body shape, on which there are 5 rows of hard spines made of bone tissue. Two rows are located on the belly, two on the sides and one row on the back, and in between them there are bone protective plates.

The sturgeon is characterized by a cone-shaped, somewhat elongated snout, shaped like a shovel. On the lower side is the mouth, with fleshy lips and four mustaches. The structure of the jaw is distinguished by a retractable shape, on which there are no teeth.

The pectoral fin is distinguished by a “spine” shape with a thickening, and the dorsal fin is slightly shifted back. The swim bladder is connected to the esophagus and is located at the bottom of the spine. The fish skeleton is distinguished by a cartilaginous, invertebrate structure in the form of a notochord. The membranes of the 4 gills are connected in the throat area. In addition, there are 2 more accessory gills.

Almost all species of sturgeon, before the spawning process, move to great depths freshwater bodies of water. Sturgeon are quite prolific, since adult individuals are capable of laying up to 1 million eggs. Spawning mainly occurs in the spring. Some species of sturgeon not only spawn in fresh waters, but quite often wait out the winter in them. Sturgeon prefer a bottom-dwelling lifestyle, feeding on worms, small fish, insects, and mollusks.

Sturgeon species of fish, or rather about 20 species, are long-lived because they can live up to 100 years, although this only applies to one species. The lifespan of other species does not exceed 60 years. The period of sexual maturity in many species occurs at different periods, depending on living conditions and the availability of food supply. Some species begin to spawn at 15 years of age. Wherein:

• Females mature at the age of 10-12 years.
• Males are ready for fertilization starting at 7 years of age.

Sturgeon are a species of fish that grow quickly and gain weight quickly. In the Don and Dnieper rivers, sturgeon mature somewhat faster than representatives living in the Volga. This is not surprising, since the climate on the Volga is somewhat colder.

Only sterlet lays eggs every year, while other species do not differ in this feature and can spawn within a year or even two. They spawn in the spring and summer in fresh rivers characterized by rapid currents. Sturgeon caviar is highly sticky, therefore, it is firmly held on pebbles and other rocks.

Sturgeon fry, when born, are in the yolk sac, which is what they feed on in the first days, until this sac dissolves. After this, they begin to independently search for food. Sometimes they linger in the places where they were born, but mostly they roll into the sea. The fry's diet consists of zooplankton; after a certain period, having matured a little, their diet consists of:

• From mysids.
• From chironomids.
• From the Gammarids.

But as for beluga fry, they are born without a yolk bladder and immediately begin to independently look for food for themselves. Almost until sexual maturity, sturgeons develop in salty sea water. There are 2 varieties of sturgeon: winter and spring. The latter species enter the rivers in the spring, before the start of spawning, and the first species enters the rivers in the fall, overwinter in these reservoirs and lay eggs in the spring.

Classification of sturgeon fish species

There are 2 types of the sturgeon family:

• Skafirinidae.
• Sturgeon.

Previously, there were more than 20 species of fish that were found in the waters of America, Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, in our time the sturgeon population has a slightly smaller number of species, no more than 20.

List of sturgeon fish species with photos and names

Sturgeon occupy a special niche in fisheries. Nowadays, it is worth paying attention to some representatives of this family that are of commercial interest. The following types are considered the most popular and in demand.

This is the oldest representative of the sturgeon family, and also the largest. Beluga can live about 100 years, growing up to 10 meters in length and gaining a weight of 3 tons. The body of the beluga is similar to a torpedo and is protected by 5 rows of protective plates. It is white below and gray above. The mouth is located at the bottom of the head and has a sickle shape. There are also whiskers that help the fish navigate in space and look for food. Females are different large sizes, compared to males. They lay eggs once every 2-3 years. This is a predatory fish whose diet consists of gobies, anchovies, roach, herring and other fish.

Refers to freshwater fish beluga species and can grow up to 5 and a half meters in length and gain weight up to 1 ton. Kaluga has a relatively large mouth. There are fast-growing, estuary and migratory kaluga. To a greater extent, this fish is found in the basins of rivers such as the Amur, Sungari, Shilka and Arguni.

This fish is distinguished by a spindle-shaped body that ends in a blunt snout. There are mustaches at the ends of the mouth. The Russian sturgeon has a white belly, gray-brown sides, and a dark gray back. It can grow up to 3 and a half meters in length and weigh up to 120 kg. Can live almost 60 years. In its natural habitat, this fish can create crosses with beluga, sterlet, stellate sturgeon and thorn. In fact, this happens very rarely, but hybrids still come across. Habitat: Black Sea, Caspian and Azov Seas.

It grows up to one and a half meters in length and gains weight up to 4.5 kg. It has a flat and rather long tail with bony fins. It is distinguished by a large swim bladder and small eyes. Mainly found in the Amu Darya River basin.

The body of this fish contains numerous bony plates and fulcra. There are no teeth, but the mouth is retractable, and in front of it there are 4 antennae. This fish inhabits the basins of rivers such as the Ob, Yenisei, Kolyma and Lena. The Siberian sturgeon lives for almost 50 years, growing up to 3 and a half meters in length and gaining a weight of about 150 kg. Spawns in July. The diet includes organisms living at the bottom of reservoirs: mollusks, chiromid larvae and polychaete worms. In other words, this fish leads a bottom-dwelling lifestyle.

Features a classic appearance, characteristic of sturgeon. There are 5 rows of bone spikes on the body. Habitats: the basins of the Aral, Caspian, Azov and Black seas.

The habitat is common with such a representative of the sturgeon family as thorn. At the same time, a distinction is made between spring and winter stellate sturgeon. Characteristic Features body structures are: a poorly developed lower jaw, a convex forehead, a long nose, a smooth and thin mustache. Almost the entire body is covered with protective bone plates. The belly of the sturgeon is white, and the sides and back are blue-black. It can grow up to 6 meters in length and weigh about 60 kg.

This is the smallest representative of this family, as it grows no more than 120 cm in length and weighs 20 kg. The fish is distinguished by the presence of long whiskers that reach the mouth and a narrow but elongated nose. At the same time, the lower lip is divided into 2 parts, and on the sides the body is covered with solid scutes. The same shields protect the fish from the back. Depending on the habitat, the sterlet may differ different colors, although its main coloring is a yellow-white belly and a gray-brown back. All fins have gray shade. There are sharp-nosed and blunt-nosed sterlet. Habitat: northern regions of Siberia.

It has long been believed that sturgeon species are a delicious fish, distinguished by special taste characteristics. It is sold fresh, live, frozen, smoked and chilled. Sturgeon serve as the starting product for the preparation of balyk and various canned foods. The sale of sturgeon in salted form is prohibited, since the pathogenic anaerobe botulinus, which is a source of acute poisoning, was found in sturgeon meat.

In the old days, only sturgeon species of fish, such as beluga, sterlet, stellate sturgeon and sturgeon, were classified as red fish. Moreover, they called it red not because it had a pink tint of meat, but because of its beautiful taste qualities and very healthy caviar. Nowadays, the status of red fish is more assigned to salmon species. Therefore, salmon, pink salmon and chum salmon are also called red fish. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in our time there are much more salmon left compared to sturgeon.

Sturgeon have their own characteristic commercial and culinary classification, depending on their habitat. The first group includes sturgeon species that are found in the Black and Caspian Seas. The first category includes: beluga, sterlet, thorn, sturgeon and stellate sturgeon. The second category includes salmon, such as trout, pink salmon or chum salmon. TO last group include white-meat salmon such as coho salmon, white fish, nelma and taimen.

Red fish is prized for its large assortment nutrients, found in meat. These include vitamins A, B, E, PP and D, as well as minerals such as zinc, phosphorus, calcium, fluorine and iodine. Moreover, this list is not complete. But the most important advantage is the presence of fatty acids, such as Omega-3, in the meat of this fish. Thanks to the presence of this acid, the functioning of the central nervous system improves. nervous system, immunity increases, memory improves, etc.

Scientists have proven that the category of people who regularly consume red fish are less susceptible to depression, and their risks of hypertension or cancer are reduced by 3 times. Therefore, in our time, a ban has been imposed on some species of both sturgeon and salmon. commercial fishing. Their fishing is permitted only under special licenses. This also applies to recreational fishing. Severe fines are imposed for unauthorized fishing. Unfortunately, these measures do not stop poachers.