Japanese sturgeon

{{Speciesbox

| name = Japanese sturgeon

| image = Japanese Sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii).jpg

| status = CR

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn|author1=Qiwei, W.|author2=Mugue, N.|year=2022|title=Acipenser schrenckii|page=e.T228A146104223|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T228A146104223.en|access-date=7 June 2023}}

| status2 = CITES_A2

| status2_system = CITES

| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}

| genus = Acipenser

| species = schrenckii

| authority = von Brandt 1869

| synonyms =

Acipenser baeri schrencki von Brandt 1869
Sturio schrenckii (von Brandt 1869)
Acipenser multiscutatus Tanaka 1908

| synonyms_ref = {{Cite web|last1=Froese|first1=R.|last2=Pauly|first2=D.|year=2017|title=Acipenseridae |url=http://www.fishbase.se/Summary/FamilySummary.php?ID=32|website=FishBase version (02/2017)|accessdate=18 May 2017}}{{Cite web|title=Acipenseridae|url=http://deeplyfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Family-Acipenseridae-PDF.pdf|website=Deeplyfish- fishes of the world|accessdate=18 May 2017|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918155220/http://deeplyfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Family-Acipenseridae-PDF.pdf|url-status=dead}}

}}

The Japanese sturgeon or Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae found in the Amur River basin in China and Russia. Claims of its presence in the Sea of Japan need confirmation.{{FishBase|genus=Acipenser|species=schrenckii|id=6085|month=January|year=2013}} The species has 11–16 dorsal, 34–47 lateral, and 7–16 ventral scutes. Their dorsal fins have 38–53 rays and 20–35 anal fin rays. They also have greyish-brown backs and pale ventral sides. The species can reach up to {{convert|3|m|ft}} in length, and weigh over {{convert|190|kg|lbs}}.[http://www.pond-life.me.uk/sturgeon/acipenserschrenckii.php Description and distribution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210031444/http://www.pond-life.me.uk/sturgeon/acipenserschrenckii.php |date=10 December 2013 }} The species is considered to be critically endangered.

Habitat and ecology

The Japanese sturgeon is benthic. Their main food sources are aquatic insect larvae, bony fish and mollusks. One study suggests that the type of aquatic insect larvae eaten by juvenile Japanese sturgeon depends on the season, where mayfly nymphs are eaten more frequently in spring and fall, and midge larvae are eaten more frequently in summer.{{Cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Lei|last2=Zhang|first2=Ying|last3=Zhang|first3=Jinfeng|last4=Ma|first4=Bo|date=2020-05-04|title=Seasonal variation in diet of juvenile Amur sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii in the lower reaches of the Songhua River, Northeast China|journal=Journal of Applied Ichthyology|volume=36|issue=3|pages=275–281|doi=10.1111/jai.14041|s2cid=218914637 |issn=0175-8659|doi-access=free|bibcode=2020JApIc..36..275L }} The females mature at 9–10 years of age, and males at 7–8 years. They start to migrate in the autumn. They live for 65 years.

Japanese sturgeon

Habitat and ecology

References

Further reading