Species profiles: Life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Mid-Atlantic Bight): Atlantic and shortnosed sturgeons
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL (USA)
Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, range, life history, and environmental requirements of coastal species. The Atlantic and shortnose sturgeons (especially the former) were commercially important fishes between 1880 and 1900, but stocks have since decreased markedly and the shortnose sturgeon is now classified as federally endangered. Although the two species are anadromous, the shortnose sturgeon tends to spawn farther upstream, and spawning in both species usually occurs over a clean, hard substrate washed by a moderate to strong current. The shortnose sturgeon usually spawn earlier at the same latitude, with spawning of this species in the St. John River, New Brunswick, being completed by mid-May, as opposed to late June or even July for the Atlantic sturgeon. During non-spawning periods, the shortnose is largely confined to estuaries and apparently does not undergo the extensive coastal migrations that are characteristic of the Atlantic sturgeon. Atlantic sturgeon mature more slowly than shortnose sturgeon at comparable latitudes, with male and female Atlantic sturgeon from the Hudson River, New York, requiring at least 11 and 18 years, respectively, to reach maturity, compared with less than half that time for the shortnose sturgeon. Spawning in both sexes may occur thereafter only once every several years. Both species are usually indiscriminate feeders and feed by sucking materials off the bottom with their protrusible mouths. Feeding apparently occurs mostly at night in the shortnose sturgeon. 71 refs., 14 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL (USA); National Wetlands Research Center, Slidell, LA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOD; DOI
- OSTI ID:
- 6872349
- Report Number(s):
- BR-82(11.122); TR-EL-82-4/82(11.122); ON: TI90013858
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Species profiles: life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fish and invertebrates (North Atlantic). Atlantic salmon
Species profiles: life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Mid-Atlantic). Alewife/Blueback herring
Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANADROMOUS FISHES
SPECIES DIVERSITY
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ANIMAL GROWTH
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BASELINE ECOLOGY
COASTAL WATERS
ESTUARIES
FEDERAL REGION II
FEEDING
FISHERIES
LIFE CYCLE
MORPHOLOGY
PLANTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
SALINITY
SUBSTRATES
TAXONOMY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGY
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEMS
FISHES
GROWTH
NORTH AMERICA
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
540310* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)
550100 - Behavioral Biology