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The sterliad sturgeon, scientifically called Acipenser ruthenus, also called sterlet, its name refers to the small stellate bony scutes on its skin. It is one of the smallest species of sturgeon and the only species that lives only in freshwater (rivers) and is highly susceptible to contaminated waters.
The growth of this fish is slow, and in addition to its highly delicate and high-quality meat, it is also valuable as an aquarium fish. Its main food is crustacean, polychaetes, and insect infants. Due to overfishing and contamination, IUCN has identified it as a vulnerable species.
In the wild, the weight of a sterlet is up to 16 kg and its length reaches 100 to 125 cm. Under normal conditions the males mature at the age of 3 to 7 and females at the age of 4 to 12 and the appropriate temperature for spawning is 12 to 17 ° C. (Month of May)
In breeding farms, with good management, environmental and nutritional conditions, females mature to be 3 to 4 years old, weighing 1 to 4 kg and total length of 60 to 80 cm and their caviar can be obtained. Their egg laying in this condition is 12 to 17 percent of their body weight.
Acipenser ruthenus and Acipenser baerii are often not easily recognizable from each other. As mentioned above, the name ‘sterlet’ refers to the small stars on the body of the sterliad. The white corners of the fin and the lines on the skin of the sterlet make it distinct from the uniform color of the Siberian sturgeon. Its muzzle length is 37 to 49 percent of its head length and its life span is 22 to 25 years.
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