Endangered Species Guide : Fish : Animal Planet

Endangered Fish

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RUSSIAN STURGEON (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)

The Russian sturgeon is a large, bony fish that can reach a length of more than 6 feet. It lives in salt water and travels upriver to spawn, which makes it vulnerable to habitat loss on multiple fronts, including hydroelectric dams that create barriers to spawning grounds, pollution in both its freshwater and saltwater homes, and being heavily fished for its meat and eggs, which are used to make caviar.

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IUCN Status: Endangered
Major Threat: Overfishing, pollution and habitat loss
Habitat: Seas and large rivers
Location: Black Sea, Caspian Sea and adjacent river systems
Diet: Mainly mollusks

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