Species learning profile

Acipenser huso huso

Huso huso

Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso) is a brackish fish associated with estuary habitat in Europe. It is one of the largest freshwater fishes ever recorded.

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Illustration originale de la collection Fishdle de Acipenser huso huso
Source de l’illustration: Fishdle · CC BY 4.0

At a glance

Eau
Eau saumâtre
Habitat
Estuaire
Longueur maximale
700 cm
Répartition
Europe
Famille
Acipenseridae
Ordre
Acipenseriformes

Observe

How to identify Acipenser huso huso

  • Grey to dark olive with a pale underside.
  • Long, heavy, and shark-like, with bony ridges and a pointed snout.
  • Reported maximum length: 700 cm — a genuinely giant fish. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.

Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.

Place and pattern

Where it lives—and how it behaves

Habitat and range

This species is associated with estuary habitat across Europe. Tides mix fresh and salt water here, and sheltered shallows often serve as productive nursery habitat.

Behavior

Uses estuary habitat for feeding, shelter, migration, or reproduction.

Food-web connections

What it eats and why it matters

Diet

A species-specific mix of plant material, plankton, invertebrates, or other fish.

Ecological role

It links sheltered nursery water with river, coast, or offshore food webs..

Remember

One fact worth keeping

Acipenser huso huso peut atteindre environ 700 cm et vit souvent près de Estuaire.

Think like a conservationist

A conservation lens

Estuaries are vulnerable to shoreline loss, polluted runoff, dredging, and barriers between nursery and adult habitat.

This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.

Recall

Quick knowledge check

Which habitat is most closely associated with Beluga sturgeon in this guide?

Keep exploring

References and further reading

Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.

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