Persian sturgeon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persian sturgeon |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Acipenser persicus | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acipenseriformes |
| Family: | Acipenseridae |
| Genus: | Acipenser |
| Species: |
A. persicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acipenser persicus Borodin 1897
|
|
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) is a type of fish that lives in the Caspian Sea. You can also find some in the Black Sea. These fish swim up certain rivers to lay their eggs. These rivers include the Volga, Kura, Araks, and Ural Rivers.
People catch Persian sturgeon for their meat and their eggs, which are called caviar. Dams on rivers make it hard for the sturgeon to swim upstream to lay eggs. Young sturgeon eat tiny water creatures. As they grow, they start eating bigger things like crabs and other fish. This fish is in great danger. Too much fishing, dams, losing places to lay eggs, and water pollution are big problems. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says the Persian sturgeon is critically endangered. They suggest that fish farms could help by raising more sturgeon.
Contents
What Does the Persian Sturgeon Look Like?
The Persian sturgeon has a long, strong body. It often has a bluish color. This sturgeon mostly lives in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea areas. But it is found mainly in the Caspian Sea. You can also find them in rivers that flow into the Caspian Sea.
Sturgeons are important fish for fishing. People value them for their meat. But they are most famous for their roe, or eggs, which are made into caviar. Because of too much fishing for caviar, the Persian sturgeon is now a Critically Endangered Species. This means it is very close to disappearing forever.
Where Do Persian Sturgeons Live?
Persian sturgeons usually feed in the shallow parts of the sea. They are found mostly in the eastern part of the South Caspian Sea. You can also find some in the North Caspian Sea. They live in the western parts of the Middle and South Caspian Sea too.
How Persian Sturgeons Live and Eat
The Persian sturgeon is a heterotroph. This means it gets its food by eating other living things. It has special sensors to feel and taste its food. When it eats, it simply sucks in its meal.
What a sturgeon eats changes as it gets older.
- When they are young, sturgeon eat small water creatures. These include tiny shrimp called Mysid shrimp. They also eat Chironomid flies and gammarid amphipods.
- When they are about 2 or 3 years old, many sturgeon start eating crabs or other fish.
- As adults, Persian sturgeon mostly eat other fish.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Persian sturgeons mostly lay their eggs in certain rivers. These rivers are the Volga, Kura, Araks, and Ural Rivers. They lay eggs in water that is about 20-25 degrees Celsius (68-77 degrees Fahrenheit).
The time they lay eggs is different for each river:
- In the Volga river, they lay eggs from late July to early August.
- In the Kura river, it's from April to mid-September.
- In the Ural river, it's from June to July.
When they are not laying eggs, sturgeon usually stay at the bottom of the sea. They rest in the mud or sand.
Protecting the Persian Sturgeon
There are four main things to think about when trying to save the Persian sturgeon:
- Dams on rivers: Dams block the rivers, making it hard for sturgeon to swim upstream.
- Loss of spawning areas: The places where sturgeon lay their eggs are disappearing.
- Pollution: Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are getting dirty.
- Fishing at sea: Too many sturgeon are caught, especially young ones.
Many of these problems are caused by people. When fishermen catch sturgeon before they can lay eggs, it stops new fish from being born. One way to help is to support fish farms. These farms can raise Persian sturgeon in a controlled way. This helps to increase the number of fish in the wild.
 | Aurelia Browder |
 | Nannie Helen Burroughs |
 | Michelle Alexander |
