We're excited to have Lynn Lankshear, a fisheries biologist from NOAA Fisheries' Northeast Regional Office, join us this year for Hagfish Day! Lynn is a  fish expert and has generously taken some time to answer our questions about the Atlantic sturgeon. (Thanks Lynn!) 

      Jake, the SeaDog

1. I bet most people have heard of sturgeons, but don't know why. Is it a common fish?

7. Are lamprey their only predator?

There are 25 species of sturgeon world-wide.  Most people know sturgeon as the source of caviar (sturgeon eggs).  Atlantic sturgeons were once abundant in every major coastal river along the Atlantic coast in North America.  Unfortunately, like other sturgeon species, populations have declined significantly due to overharvesting for its meat and eggs.  Pollution and damming of rivers where spawning occurs has likely harmed Atlantic sturgeon as well.  Atlantic sturgeons are sometimes killed when accidentally caught in fishing gear used in river estuaries and the ocean.

Fishing for Atlantic sturgeon is no longer allowed in the U.S. In some places, people are seeing Atlantic sturgeon more frequently.  Many people are studying Atlantic sturgeon to learn more about how we can help this fish.  We hope Atlantic sturgeon will, again, be a common fish along our east coast.

 That is unlikely.  Very little is known about natural predators of Atlantic sturgeon but, in general, documented predators of sturgeon species include seals and other fish such as striped bass.  Seals and striped bass occur in Atlantic sturgeon habitat. 

Atlantic sturgeons are a relatively large fish, even amongst sturgeon species, reaching lengths of 8-9 feet (up to 3 meters).  The largest recorded Atlantic sturgeon was a female that was nearly 14 feet long (4.26 m).  Although they grow relatively slowly, their large size when mature, the presence of scutes throughout their life, and their use of estuarine habitats that provide shelter for young sturgeon likely helps to protect Atlantic sturgeon from predators. 

2.  Those scutes are cute...I mean ruggedly handsome... What do they feel like?

8. Why are these fish important to their environment?

The scutes are hard, bony, and uneven in texture.  They do not feel rough but, each has a “spine” or “spur” which can be quite sharp, particularly on young sturgeon. 

3. Are the rows of scutes leftover form the dino-days or a cool fashion statement or something else? (Do both males and females have them?)

Atlantic sturgeon have thick, tough skin with five rows of scutes and small scutlets.  Both males and females do have scutes.  In fact, scutes develop quite early and are evident on very young fish. 

Sturgeon date back to the Early Jurassic period.  This was a period of dinosaurs as well as many sea creatures.  The scutes likely served the same purpose then as today; they help to protect the fish from predators. Think of them as fish “body armor.”

  Because the Atlantic sturgeon are an anadromous species,  they are important to the environment because they help to carry nutrients to and from the rivers and oceans.  Atlantic sturgeons are estuarine-dependent meaning that they must have estuarine environments to survive.  Atlantic sturgeons also contribute to the health and balance of estuarine environments.  The decline in health of our coastal estuaries coincides with the decline of many species that are part of the estuarine ecosystem.  Estuaries.gov provides additional information on the importance of estuaries, including information on estuarine-dependent species

9. What's the scoop with the status of Atlantic sturgeon? Do people eat them?

Atlantic sturgeons that are spawned in the U.S. are currently being considered for listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.  Atlantic sturgeons that are spawned in Canada are currently being considered for listing under Canada’s Species At Risk Act (similar to the U.S. Endangered Species Act).  Nearly all sturgeon species are at risk of extinction.  Their late age to maturity and reliance upon multiple habitats makes Atlantic sturgeon susceptible to threats such as overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat.  Although Atlantic sturgeons were once fished in the U.S. for food, all fisheries have been closed since 1998.

4. Where to Atlantic sturgeon travel when they leave the spawning areas? Are they found in shallow water or deep-sea?

10. And what  can kids/people do to help them?

 Atlantic sturgeons are "anadromous" fish meaning that they spawn in freshwater but spend most of their life in the marine environment.  Spawning areas for Atlantic sturgeon occur in large coastal rivers with estuaries, and access to the sea.  All of these habitats are necessary for Atlantic sturgeon. 

 Generally, Atlantic sturgeons live in relatively shallow water.  They are bottom feeders that suck their food, such as worms and mollusks, from mud, sand or other soft-sediments.  In the open ocean, they most often occur in waters that are less than 164 feet (50 meters) deep.  In the estuaries, they are frequently found in channel areas but these are also relatively shallow compared to ocean waters. 

 We can all help Atlantic sturgeon by keeping our environment clean, following the guidance of environmental programs that are in place, and using habitats in and around rivers, coastal sounds, bays, and the ocean wisely.  Learning about Atlantic sturgeon helps us to make wise choices that will, in turn, help them.  The Students Collaborating to Undertake Tracking Efforts for Sturgeon (SCUTES) is a NOAA Fisheries Service program that provides information, and encourages students, teachers, and sturgeon researchers to work together to learn more about the movements, behavior and threats to Atlantic sturgeon along the East Coast of the United States.

Just as “scutes” help to protect Atlantic sturgeon from harm, SCUTES will help Atlantic sturgeon by providing essential information, and facilitating understanding of what we can do for Atlantic sturgeon.  Information on SCUTES is available at www.nero.noaa.gov/prot_res/scutes/.

5. What does it mean that sturgeon are primitive? They don't live millions of years, do they? Are these the same species of fish as millions of years ago or ...

Atlantic sturgeons are sometimes called primitive or “living fossils” because sturgeon have been around since the Jurassic period and have remained relatively unchanged.  However, although they have persisted since the age of dinosaurs, they may be less able to adapt to rapid changes in the environment, including changes to spawning areas.  Genetic studies have shown that Atlantic sturgeon typically spawn in the river in which they were spawned, and are unlikely to move to another river even when suitable spawning habitat is no longer available.

6. Do they die after spawning?

Atlantic sturgeons do not die after spawning.  They are long-lived for a fish.  The oldest known Atlantic sturgeon was estimated to be 60 years old. 

 A female Atlantic sturgeon spawns every 2 to 5 years.  Males spawn every 1 to 5 years.  However, it takes a long time for sturgeon to be old enough to spawn.  Larger, older females produce more eggs.  On average, a 29 year old female will have spawned about 50% of the eggs she is capable of producing over her lifetime.

10. Do either do anything awesomely cool like a hagfish, tie themselves in knots or ooze slime or....?

 Sturgeon do not ooze slime or tie themselves in knots.  However, they can jump out of the water, travel hundreds of miles, and eat worms.  What can be cooler than that.