Stellate Sturgeon(Acipenser stellatus)
By Graham Quick & Terry White
The Stellate Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) is very easy to recognise, as the nose/head is up to a 25% of the total length of the fish. With bluish to black skin and a white-cream ventral (underside) and very pronounced scutes (the bony plates on the skin) that are a yellowish-white colour. Better looking than Diamond sturgeon, and keeps its colour when older unlike a lot of Diamond Sturgeons.
The Stellate Sturgeon is also known as Stellatus or the Starry Sturgeon. Once very rare, there are a number of breeders now. The Stellatus is a must for the sturgeon collector.
The Stellatus can grow to a maximum size of 2.2m and 70kg in the wild but in a large pond 1.3 - 1.5m and 10 - 15kg is the more usual size. It does not tolerate low oxygen levels so extra oxygenation in the summer months is essential. Stellate Sturgeons do not tolerate strong treatments such as formalin.
Videos of our Stellate Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus)
The Stellate Sturgeon is more likely to jump out of the pond than other sturgeon species so make sure there is a net or barrier.
Recommended Pond Size
The Stellate Sturgeon is a more slender fish than the Diamond Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and can be kept in a smaller pond. It is a very keen swimmer though, never really stopping, so it needs plenty of space to swim. A big pond with good current will keep this fish feeding and in good health. A pond of 3,000 - 6,000 gallons (13,500 - 27,000 litres) is recommended if you want to keep a Stellatus into maturity.
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Taxonomy
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Links: Encyclopedia of Life | FAO Species Fact Sheet | Fishbase | ITIS | Pond Life | World Register of Marine Species
Common Names: Sevruga, Star Sturgeon, Starry Sturgeon, Stellate Sturgeon, Stellatus