Other Freshwater
White Sturgeon
Acipenser transmontanus
FreshwaterAcipenseridaeVulnerable
About
The White Sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, characterized by its elongated body, cartilaginous skeleton, and five rows of bony plates called scutes instead of scales. They are bottom-dwelling fish, using barbels near their mouth to locate food.
- Average size
- 6-12 feet, 200-800 lbs (can exceed 20 feet and 1,500 lbs)
- Colors
- Gray to olive brown dorsally, fading to white ventrally
- Diet
- Invertebrates (e.g., insects, crustaceans) and fish
- Region
- Pacific Northwest: Primarily found in the Columbia River basin, Fraser River, and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.