Species learning profile
White sturgeon
Acipenser transmontanus
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a brackish fish associated with estuary habitat in North America. North America's largest freshwater fish can live for more than a century.
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At a glance
- Eau
- Eau saumâtre
- Habitat
- Estuaire
- Longueur maximale
- 610 cm
- Répartition
- Amérique du Nord
- Famille
- Acipenseridae
- Ordre
- Acipenseriformes
Observe
How to identify White sturgeon
- North America's largest freshwater fish can live for more than a century.
- Guide context: estuary habitat in North America.
- Reported maximum length: 610 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 North America. Tides mix fresh and salt water here, and sheltered shallows often serve as productive nursery habitat.
Behavior
Moves among rivers, estuaries, and coastal water
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
Fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and carrion.
Ecological role
A long-lived bottom feeder and scavenger.
Remember
One fact worth keeping
White sturgeon peut atteindre environ 610 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 White 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.
Make connections