the atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) is a north american member of the acipenseridae family and is among the oldest fish species in the world .

it is one of two subspecies of a. oxyrinchus , the other being the gulf sturgeon , a. o. desotoi .

the range of the atlantic sturgeon extends from new brunswick , canada , to the eastern coast of florida , united states .

a disjunct population occurs in the baltic region of europe ( today only through a reintroduction project ) .

it was in great abundance when the first european settlers came to north america , but has since declined due to overfishing and water pollution .

it is considered threatened , endangered , and even locally extinct in many of its original habitats .

the fish can reach 60 years of age , 15 ft ( 4.6 m ) in length and over 800 lb ( 360 kg ) in weight .

atlantic sturgeon

critical habitat for the carolina and south atlantic distinct population segments of atlantic sturgeon .
. 0151 atlantic sturgeon per hour ) sections was greater than the experimental ( 0–0 . 75 atlantic sturgeon per hour ,
atlantic sturgeon being measured as part of a cooperative federal / state / industry atlantic sturgeon bycatch reduction survey . photo © asmfc .
part of the atlantic sturgeon’s scientific name , oxyrhynchus , means “sharp snout . ”
part of the atlantic sturgeon’s scientific name , oxyrhynchus , means “sharp snout . ”
atlantic sturgeon – u . s . fish & wildlife service chesapeake bay field office
fwc ( florida fish wildlife conservation commission ) atlantic sturgeon biological status review report .
wirgin i , grunwald c , stabile j , waldman jr . genetic evidence for mid - atlantic coast relict atlantic sturgeon stocks .
then in 1998 , the atlantic marine fisheries commission closed the entire coast to atlantic sturgeon fishing for the next four decades . stock assessments indicated that only remnant populations of atlantic sturgeon remain along much of the east coast .
king ta , lubinski ba , spidle ap . microsatellite dna variation in atlantic sturgeon (
artyukhin e , vecsei p . on the status of atlantic sturgeon : conspecificity of european
caron f , hatin d , fortin r . biological characteristics of adult atlantic sturgeon (
atlantic sturgeon can live up to 80 years old but generally live approximately 60 years .
atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) . photo credit : edith carson ( noaa )
noaa fisheries today designated critical habitat for atlantic sturgeon—an important step to ensuring their recovery .
secor and niklitschek ( 2001 ) show that shortnose sturgeon are more tolerant of higher temperatures than atlantic sturgeon , thus the “stressful temperature” for atlantic sturgeon is considered 26 °c ( secor and gunderson , 1998 ) .
the national oceanic and atmospheric administration officially declared the atlantic sturgeon an endangered species in 2012 . it is illegal to fish for , catch or harvest atlantic sturgeon or their eggs .
the national oceanic and atmospheric administration officially declared the atlantic sturgeon an endangered species in 2012 . it is illegal to fish for , catch , or harvest atlantic sturgeon or their eggs .
‘spawning atlantic sturgeon are showing up in rivers where they were never thought to exist . ’
leave the fish where you found it . possession of atlantic or shortnose sturgeon is prohibited !
the restoration program for the baltic population of the atlantic sturgeon acipenser o . oxyrinchus in polandus
the atlantic states marine fisheries commission’s fisheries management plan calls for rebuilding at least 20 year classes of atlantic sturgeon in order to restore the population .
any sturgeon found in connecticut waters that is more than 4 feet long is an atlantic sturgeon . atlantic sturgeon can be distinguished from shortnose sturgeon by their relative mouth width . atlantic sturgeon have mouth widths ( inside the lips ) that measure less than 50 percent of the distance between the eyes , while shortnose sturgeon have large mouths that measure greater than 60 percent of the distance between the eyes .
because atlantic sturgeon are similar to humans in life span , recovery is slow and easily unnoticed .
) designed in hybridlab 1 . 0 clustered baltic sturgeon together with atlantic sturgeon , and produced no evidence for a historic hybrid population ( figure
failure to confirm previous identification of two putative museum specimens of the atlantic sturgeon , acipenser sturio , as the adriatic sturgeon , a . naccarii
he p , jones n . design and test of a low profile gillnet to reduce atlantic sturgeon and sea turtle bycatch in mid - atlantic monkfish fishery .
atlantic sturgeon were harvested heavily in the twentieth century , particularly for their eggs ( or roe ) used for caviar . overfishing led to a decline in abundance of atlantic sturgeon , and in 1998 the atlantic states marine fisheries commission issued a coast - wide moratorium on the harvest of atlantic sturgeon , and noaa fisheries followed with a similar moratorium in federal waters .
keeping atlantic sturgeon on the planet won’t be easy or cheap ; but now we know it’s possible .
atlantic sturgeon status review team . 2007 . status review of atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) . report to national marine fisheries service , northeast regional office . february 23 , 2007 . 174 pp .
grunwald c , maceda l , waldman j , stabile j , wirgin i . conservation of atlantic sturgeon
genetic protocol of atlantic sturgeon acipenser oxyrinchus ( l . ) fry for restocking the vistula river , poland
fox dj , armstrong jl , brown lm , wark k . the influence of sink gillnet profile on bycatch of atlantic sturgeon in the mid - atlantic monkfish fishery .
kahnle aw , hattala ka , mckown a , shirey ca , collins mr , squiers ts , savoy t . stock status of atlantic sturgeon of atlantic coast estuaries .
atlantic sturgeon have large snouts for rooting out bottom - dwelling prey . matt balazik / vcu rice rivers center
by may 30 , 2016 . this rule proposing to designate critical habitat for the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon is complemented by a concurrent rule proposing to designate critical habitat for the gulf of maine , new york bight , and chesapeake bay dpss of atlantic sturgeon .
the lateral extent for all critical habitat units for the south atlantic dps of atlantic sturgeon is the ordinary high water mark on each bank of the river and shorelines . critical
atlantic sturgeon at various life stages are found within most estuarine waters of north carolina throughout the entire year . due to their highly migratory behavior , atlantic sturgeon spawned in other regions often enter north carolina waters . sturgeon from the hudson , chesapeake , carolina , and south atlantic distinct population segments have been identified in north carolina waters .
chesapeake bay atlantic sturgeon—acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus—is listed as a federally endangered species , and its catch or possession is prohibited .
the largest atlantic sturgeon ever recorded was caught in canada . it measured 14 feet long and weighed 811 pounds .
kolman r , kapusta a , duda a , wiszniewski g . review of the current status of the atlantic sturgeon
biology and conservation of the european sturgeon acipenser sturio l . 1758 . the reunion of the european and atlantic sturgeons
noaa fisheries designated critical habitat for atlantic sturgeon in parts of coastal rivers from maine to florida . ( noaa )
2014 study . there were seven atlantic sturgeon detected in the cooper river that had been tagged in other systems .
in the maritimes region , there are aboriginal food , social and ceremonial allocations for atlantic sturgeon , as well as a strict quota - controlled commercial gill - net fishery and a recreational angling fishery where most anglers employ live release . there is also an atlantic sturgeon aquaculture and processing facility in new brunswick , which operates using wild atlantic sturgeon caught via the commercial fishery . commercially , the atlantic sturgeon is valued for its flesh and caviar ( eggs ) .
length and cumulative frequency distribution of atlantic sturgeon encountered in albemarle sound , north carolina from april to october , 2014 .
white rr , armstrong jl . survival of atlantic sturgeon captured by flounder gillnets in albemarle sound . fishery resource grant program
critical habitat for the gulf of maine , new york bight , and chesapeake bay distinct population segments of atlantic sturgeon .
2013 . year three , the influence of sink gillnet profile on bycatch of atlantic sturgeon in the mid - atlantic monkfish fishery . ( ea - 133f - 12 - rq - 0697 )
atlantic sturgeon in the hudson river region - what nysdec is doing to help conserve sturgeon in the hudson river region . ( long - term monitoring and additional research ) .
because of the bony plates covering its body , the atlantic sturgeon has few natural predators . human activities such as pollution , historic overfishing and damming of rivers threaten sturgeon .
atlantic sturgeon that are spawned in u . s . rivers or are captive progeny of atlantic sturgeon that were spawned in u . s . rivers are listed under the esa as five distinct population segments ( dpss ) read more . . .
reproduction : atlantic sturgeon are anadromous , entering large freshwater river systems to spawn during the spring . only a few states still have spawning populations of the atlantic sturgeon . the hudson river in new york has the only spawning population in new england .
the anadromous atlantic sturgeon is among the oldest fish species in the world . this species is a north american member of the
atlantic sturgeon are opportunistic bottom feeders that prey on various types of worms , shrimps , crabs , snails and small fishes .
fernandes sj , zydlewski g , zydlewski jd , wippelhauser gs , kinnison mt . seasonal distribution and movements of shortnose sturgeon and atlantic sturgeon in the penobscot river estuary , maine .
the satilla river was identified as a spawning river for atlantic sturgeon based on the capture of adults in spawning condition . ong et al . ( 1996 ) captured four reproductively mature atlantic sturgeon on spawning grounds during the spawning season in the satilla river .
( 2014 ) indicates that atlantic sturgeon do not utilize the sampit , ashley , ashepoo , and broad - coosawhatchie rivers in south carolina . these rivers are short , coastal plains rivers that most likely do not contain suitable habitat for atlantic sturgeon . post
( a ) the physical features essential for the conservation of atlantic sturgeon belonging to the carolina and south atlantic distinct population segments are those habitat components that support successful reproduction and recruitment . these are :
plans to rear thousands of young sturgeon for release in bay tributaries this year were dashed as biologists failed to successfully spawn either of two
ripe
female atlantic sturgeon this summer .
atlantic sturgeon , one of the most expensive and imperiled fish in the world , made it onto the endangered species list wednesday .
the atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus ) is a large - bodied and late - maturing fish with distinctive features . these include :
) near major rivers ( pasquotank , perquimans , chowan , alligator , and roanoke rivers ) to optimize the probability of encountering atlantic sturgeon . we specifically selected this location because the largest atlantic sturgeon commercial fishery once occurred in the roanoke river , north carolina (
stein ab , friedland kb , sutherland m . atlantic sturgeon marine bycatch mortality on the continental shelf of the northeastern united states .
june 2016 - proposed critical habitat for the gulf of maine , new york bight , and chesapeake bay dpss of atlantic sturgeon .
the roanoke river was identified as a spawning river for atlantic sturgeon based on the capture of juveniles , the collection of eggs , and the tracking location of adults . further , there was information indicating the historical use of the roanoke river by atlantic sturgeon .
this fish was an atlantic sturgeon — the largest , longest - lived creature that reproduces in north american rivers collected by the atlantic . its species is at least 70 million years senior to my own .
historically , atlantic sturgeon were present in approximately 38 rivers in the united states from st . croix , maine to the saint johns river , florida . scientists identified 35 of those as spawning rivers . atlantic sturgeon are currently present in approximately 32 of these rivers , and spawning occurs in at least 20 of them . overfishing was one of the primary factors that led to the widespread decline in the abundance of atlantic sturgeon . atlantic sturgeon was valued particularly for its roe or eggs , which were in high demand as caviar .
designating critical habitat for the gulf of maine , new york bight , chesapeake bay , carolina and south atlantic distinct population segments of atlantic sturgeon . the effective date of the rule is september 18 , 2017 .
< 0 . 05 ; power > 80 % ) . the cpue for the control ( 0–0 . 1988 atlantic sturgeon per hour ,
the restoration program for the baltic population of the atlantic sturgeon acipenser o . oxyrinchus in polandus | ryszard kolman | research project on researchgate
“this is do - or - die time for the atlantic sturgeon , ” mr . estrin said . “the numbers are pretty damning . ”
) . a firth regression test did not find a significant interaction effect between the number of atlantic sturgeon encounters and net section , month , or water depth . the best model fit did suggest that month and depth were significant predictors of a positive outcome for atlantic sturgeon encounters .
number of atlantic sturgeon incidentally encountered by mean water depth ( m ) in albemarle sound , north carolina from april to october , 2014 .
1999 . movement , habitat selection and growth of early - life juvenile atlantic sturgeon in albemarle sound , north carolina ; p . 87 .
van eenennaam jp , doroshov si , moberg gp , watson jg , moore ds , linares j . reproductive conditions of the atlantic sturgeon (
( c ) critical habitat boundaries of the carolina dps . the lateral extent for all critical habitat units for the carolina dps of atlantic sturgeon is the ordinary high water mark on each bank of the river and shorelines . critical habitat for the carolina dps of atlantic sturgeon is :
the atlantic sturgeon is managed and protected under a fishery management plan implemented by the atlantic states marine fisheries commission ( asmfc ) . the gulf of maine population segment is listed as threatened under the endangered species act ( esa ) . throughout the rest of its range , the atlantic sturgeon is considered endangered and is locally extirpated in some of its original habitats .
wirgin i , grunwald c , stabile j , waldman j . genetic evidence for relict atlantic sturgeon stocks along the mid - atlantic coast of the usa . n am j fish manage . 2007 ; 27 : 1214–29 .
the genetics information for atlantic sturgeon captured in six specific areas of the marine range demonstrates that atlantic sturgeon belonging to the chesapeake bay dps were present in at least four of the sampled areas : the connecticut river , long island sound , the atlantic ocean off of rockaway , new york , and the atlantic ocean off of delaware bay . the dps comprised approximately 5 percent to 21 percent of the atlantic sturgeon sampled in these areas ( waldman et al . , 2013 ; o ' leary et al . , 2014 ; wirgin et al . , 2015a ) . the chesapeake bay dps was not detected in the relatively small number of samples collected from atlantic sturgeon captured in the winter off of north carolina ( laney et al . , 2007 ) , and comprised no more that 1 percent of atlantic sturgeon sampled in the minas basin in the summer ( wirgin et al . , 2012 ) . the results suggest that chesapeake bay dps atlantic sturgeon travel great distances , including into canadian waters , but occur most predominantly in marine waters of the new york and mid - atlantic bight .
both males and females may remain in the river until late fall before migrating back to the atlantic . after hatching , the young tend to remain in their natal areas up to five years before beginning their journey to the ocean . immature atlantic sturgeon may also wander in and out of the atlantic coastline .
atlantic sturgeon are managed in the u . s . through amendment 1 to the interstate fmp for atlantic sturgeon and its associated addenda i - iv . the primary goal of the amendment is to achieve stock recovery . under amendment 1 , each state and jurisdiction “must maintain complete closure , through prohibiting possession of atlantic sturgeon , and any and all parts thereof including eggs , of any directed fishery for and landings of atlantic sturgeon until the fishery management plan is modified to reopen fishing in that jurisdiction . ” exceptions to the moratorium on possession were approved via technical addendum # 1 ( 2000 ) for the purposes of scientific research and educational display . the amendment also addresses atlantic sturgeon mortality associated with bycatch from other fisheries .
reason for decline : populations of atlantic sturgeon have declined due to overfishing , loss of habitat , limited access to spawning areas and water pollution .
elvira b , almodóvar a . morphology and taxonomy of the atlantic sturgeon acipenser sturio from spain . folia zool . 2000 ; 49 : 221–30 .
gessner j , arndt g - m , fredrich f , ludwig a , kirschbaum f , bartel r , et al . remediation of atlantic sturgeon
( e ) critical habitat boundaries of the chesapeake bay dps . critical habitat for the chesapeake bay dps of atlantic sturgeon is the waters of :
atlantic sturgeon utilize estuarine areas for foraging , growth , and movement . atlantic sturgeon subadults and adults in non - spawning condition use estuarine waters seasonally , presumably for foraging opportunities , although evidence in the form of stomach content collection and analysis is limited ( savoy and pacileo , 2007 ; dzaugis , 2013 ) . we considered all studies that have collected atlantic sturgeon stomach contents . all of the prey species identified are indicative of benthic foraging , but different types of prey were consumed and different substrates were identified for the areas where atlantic sturgeon were foraging ( bigelow and schroeder , 1953 ; johnson
the shortnose sturgeon salvage network was formed to improve documentation of endangered shortnose sturgeon found dead in the wild read more . . .
but the state’s department of environmental conservation , which banned atlantic sturgeon fishing in 1996 , and the new york thruway authority say it is impossible to link the increase in sturgeon deaths to construction work around the bridge .
fr ( federal register ) endangered and threatened wildlife and plants : threatened and endangered status for distinct population segments of atlantic sturgeon in the northeast region .
the regulatory baseline conditions , including the listing of the atlantic sturgeon , will greatly affect the number of incremental consultations . specifically , the number of incremental
the atlantic states marine fisheries commission manages atlantic sturgeon under a fishery management plan . in 1998 , the commission instituted a coast - wide moratorium on the harvest of atlantic sturgeon , in effect until there are at least 20 protected age classes in each spawning stock ( anticipated to take up to 40 years ) . noaa fisheries followed the commission moratorium with a similar moratorium for federal waters .
those life stages , and conservation objectives that can be supported by identifiable physical or biological features ( hereafter also referred to as “pbfs” or “essential features” ) . in the final rule listing the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon (
ludwig a , makoviecki d , benecke n . further evidence of trans - atlantic colonization of western europe by american atlantic sturgeons . archaeofauna . 2009 ; 18 : 185–92 .
was likely displaced by atlantic sturgeons due to the cooling during the little ice age .
in 2009 , the atlantic sturgeon was petitioned to be listed under the esa . since 1998 , there has been a moratorium on fishing for atlantic sturgeon throughout its entire range . in addition , efforts are in place to preserve and restore habitat as well as explore breeding and stocking efforts . dam removals and water quality improvements can contribute to improved populations . research throughout its range aims to document atlantic sturgeon movements and other habits to better understand the species .
) ; all protected species were released alive . no mortalities of atlantic sturgeon were documented in either the control or experimental sections . it should be noted that two of the atlantic sturgeon had external t - bar tags at the base of the left dorsal fin musculature ( # 49364 and # 48022 ) .
hudson river fisheries unit , division of marine resources and other state and local agencies work cooperatively to gather information about the atlantic sturgeon through a variety of programs and surveys . to read more about long term monitoring and research being done by the nysdec to better conserve the atlantic sturgeon , visit the pages below .
, while atlantic sturgeon have a spleen length averaging 5 . 7 % of their fork length . lesser morphological differences include relative head length , shape of dorsal
desse - berset n . first archaeozoological identification of atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus mitchill 1815 ) in france . cr palevol . 2009 ; 8 : 717–24 .
the st . marys river was identified as a spawning river for atlantic sturgeon based on the capture of yoy atlantic sturgeon . atlantic sturgeon were once thought to be extirpated in the st . marys river . however , nine atlantic sturgeon were captured in sampling efforts between may 19 and june 9 , 2014 . captured fish ranged in size from 293 mm ( yoy ) to 932 mm ( subadult ) . this is a possible indication of a slow and protracted recovery in the st . marys ( d . peterson , uga , pers . comm . to j . rueter , nmfs prd , july 8 , 2015 ) .
( c ) critical habitat boundaries for the gulf of maine dps . critical habitat for the gulf of maine dps of atlantic sturgeon is the waters of :
( d ) critical habitat boundaries of the new york bight dps . critical habitat for the new york bight dps of atlantic sturgeon is the waters of :
lazzari , m . a . , j . c . oherron , ii & r . w . hastings . 1986 . occurrence of juvenile atlantic sturgeon ,
the family acipenseridae consists of 25 anadromous and freshwater sturgeon species of circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere . unfortunately , sturgeons are seriously threatened due to overfishing , damming of rivers and pollution [ 1 – 3 ] . three species lived in southwestern europe : the european sturgeon acipenser sturio , the atlantic sturgeon acipenser oxyrinchus and the adriatic sturgeon acipenser naccarii [ 4 ] .
wirgin i , grunwald c , stabile j , waldman jr : genetic evidence for mid - atlantic coast relict atlantic sturgeon stocks . na j fish manag . 2007 , 27 : 1214 - 1229 . 10 . 1577 / m06 - 269 . 1 .
atlantic and shortnose sturgeon can be found in major rivers , estuaries , bays and coastal waters along the eastern seaboard of the united states read more . . .
2016 ) . however , there is still a paucity of data to inform distribution of subadult and adult atlantic sturgeon within the marine environment and their habitat use .
the connecticut river has long been known as a seasonal aggregation area for subadult atlantic sturgeon , and both historical and contemporary records document presence of atlantic sturgeon in the river as far upstream as hadley , ma ( savoy and shake , 1993 ; savoy and pacileo , 2003 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . the enfield dam located along the fall line at enfield , ct prevented upstream passage of atlantic sturgeon from 1827 until 1977 when it was breached ( nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . although atlantic sturgeon may generally remain below the fall line , an atlantic sturgeon was captured at the holyoke dam fish lift in 2006 , upstream of enfield ( nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . as noted previously , the capture of juvenile atlantic sturgeon in the connecticut river in may 2014 ( t . savoy , ct deep , pers . comm . ; connecticut weekly diadromous fish report , report date may 20 , 2014 ) suggests spawning may be occurring in the river .
addendum i ( 2001 ) exempts the state of florida from the possession moratorium in order to develop private aquaculture facilities for cultivation and propagation of the species . addendum ii ( 2005 ) exempts a private company in north carolina from the moratorium on possession , propagation , and sale of atlantic sturgeon meat and eggs , and allows a canada - based exporter to export atlantic sturgeon fry and fingerlings into north carolina . addendum iii ( 2006 ) similarly allows a private company in north carolina to import atlantic sturgeon from a canada - based exporter . addendum iv ( 2012 ) updates habitat information for atlantic sturgeon and identifies areas of concern and research needs .
there are two subspecies of atlantic sturgeon—the gulf sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi ) and the atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) . historically , the gulf sturgeon occurred from the mississippi river east to tampa bay in florida . its present range extends from lake pontchartrain and the pearl river system in louisiana and mississippi east to the suwannee river in florida . the gulf sturgeon was listed as threatened under the esa in 1991 . this proposed rule addresses the atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) , which is distributed along the eastern coast of north america . historically , sightings of atlantic sturgeon have been reported from hamilton inlet , labrador , canada , south to the st . johns river , florida . reported occurrences south of the st . johns river , florida , have been rare but have increased recently with the evolution of acoustic telemetry coupled with increased receiver arrays .
range : atlantic sturgeon range along the entire east coast of north america , from the st . john river in new brunswick , canada , to the st . johns river along the east coast of florida . a separate subspecies , the gulf sturgeon , is found along the west coast of florida and throughout the gulf of mexico . atlantic sturgeon native to connecticut waters are believed to be extinct .
atlantic sturgeon are found on the east coast of north america and range from new brunswick , canada , down to the eastern coast of florida . when the first settlers came to north america , the atlantic sturgeon was in great abundance . their populations have since declined due to human factors , such as overfishing and water pollution .
genetic information is available for atlantic sturgeon captured in six specific areas of the marine range : minas basin , bay of fundy , canada ; the connecticut river estuary ; long island sound ; the atlantic ocean off of rockaway , new york ; the atlantic ocean off of delaware bay ; and , the atlantic ocean off of virginia / north carolina ( laney et al . , 2007 ; wirgin et al . , 2012 ; waldman et al . , 2013 ; o ' leary et al . , 2014 ; wirgin et al . , 2015a ) . atlantic sturgeon belonging to the gulf of maine dps comprised 35 percent of the minas basin , bay of fundy samples collected in the summer , suggesting this is an important foraging area for the gulf of maine dps . the dps comprised less than 2 percent to 14 . 5 percent of atlantic sturgeon sampled in the connecticut river , long island sound , the atlantic ocean off of rockaway , new york , and the atlantic ocean off of delaware bay . the dps was not detected in the sampled atlantic sturgeon incidentally captured during winter from waters off of virginia / north carolina .
sample size ( i . e . , number of sets ) was estimated using historical atlantic sturgeon fishery interaction rates and standard power analyses procedures . to detect various corresponding reductions ( control vs experimental ) in atlantic sturgeon encounter rates ( 50–80 % ) , we used the mcnemar test ( α = 0 . 05 level ) ; power curves were generated to estimate the number of sets necessary to achieve optimal power ( i . e . , sample size ) according to gillnet length and historical atlantic sturgeon encounters . power curves were based on the mean annual atlantic sturgeon catch rate ( 0 . 03 sturgeon / 914 m of net / 24 h soak ) in pamlico and albemarle sounds ( ncdmf observer program ( 2001–2009 ) and white & armstrong ( 2000 ) ) . applying this power analyses approach , the number of sets necessary to detect an 80 % reduction in atlantic sturgeon encounters was 70 .
the atlantic sturgeon is protected as an endangered species by the federal endangered species act and as a federally - designated endangered species by florida’s endangered and threatened species rule .
wirgin i , breece mw , fox da , maceda l , wark kw , king t . origin of atlantic sturgeon collected off the delaware coast during spring months .
the atlantic sturgeon was once a major commercial fishery . this fishery was so productive that atlantic sturgeon were once referred to as
albany beef
as they were a common source of protein throughout the hudson valley . unfortunately , due to overfishing and their susceptibility to getting caught as bycatch in other fisheries , their populations collapsed and have been slow to recover . the atlantic sturgeon fishery was shut down in 1998 after an unsuccessful attempt to restore the population . in 2012 , the national oceanic and atmospheric administration ( noaa ) ( link leaves dec ' s website ) , fisheries listed the atlantic sturgeon as endangered . even though the atlantic sturgeon is no longer fished , and possession is illegal , they are still vulnerable to many threats such as climate change , environmental events , and a variety of human activities that result in population impacts .
historically , atlantic sturgeon inhabited approximately 38 rivers in the united states spanning from maine to florida . scientists identified 35 of those as spawning rivers . atlantic sturgeon can now be found in approximately 32 of these rivers , and spawn in at least 20 of them . critical habitat areas in coastal rivers were identified based on physical and biological features , such as substrate type in the river bed , water temperature and salinity , that are essential to the conservation of atlantic sturgeon , particularly for spawning and development .
the coastwide atlantic sturgeon population is made up of five distinct population segments : ( 1 ) gulf of maine , ( 2 ) new york bight , ( 3 ) chesapeake , ( 4 ) carolina , and ( 5 ) south atlantic . in north carolina ( carolina distinct population segment ) , sturgeon are currently included in the north carolina interjurisdictional fishery management plan , which defers to the atlantic states marine fisheries commission plan for compliance requirements . in 1990 , the atlantic states marine fisheries commission adopted a fishery management plan for atlantic sturgeon . the goal was to restore sturgeon to fishable abundance throughout its range . as of april 1998 , all atlantic coast states had implemented total closures in state waters . an amendment to the plan was passed in june 1998 . objectives of the amendment were to establish at least 20 protected year classes of females in each spawning stock . in may 1999 , the national marine fisheries service extended the ban on sturgeon fishing into federal waters . addendum i to amendment 1 of the atlantic states marine fisheries commission fishery management plan ( passed in 2001 ) allowed for the importation of non - indigenous atlantic sturgeon and to permit development of private aquaculture facilities for this species . the atlantic states marine fisheries commission has begun the initial steps of conducting a stock assessment for atlantic sturgeon with an initial projected completion date of 2015 . however , due to data constraints , the assessment has been delayed and will not be completed until the fall of 2017 .
atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) are an anadromous species , which means they reside primarily in oceans as adults but migrating up rivers to spawn . the species is found from the st . john river , canada , south to the st . johns river , florida . atlantic sturgeon spend their first few years of life in their natal estuary before becoming highly migratory and travelling throughout the coastal atlantic waters and various estuaries to feed .
noaa fisheries is proposing to protect important river habitat for the threatened gulf of maine population segment and the endangered population segments of the new york bight , chesapeake bay , carolina and south atlantic . noaa fisheries listed the atlantic sturgeon under the endangered species act in 2012 .
atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrhynchus ) are ancient fish dating back at least 70 million years , and can be found along the entire atlantic coast from florida to labrador , canada . they are anadromous , migrating from the ocean into coastal estuaries and rivers to spawn . atlantic sturgeon may live up to 70 years old , with females reaching sexual maturity between the ages of seven to 30 , and males between the ages of five to 24 .
the fishing effort was distributed relatively similar by mean depth ( 1 . 3–6 . 4 m ) , but more atlantic sturgeon were incidentally encountered in deeper than shallower waters (
ludwig a , gessner j . what makes the difference ? sea sturgeon on both sides of the atlantic ocean . am fish soc symp . 2007 ; 56 : 285–300 .
2013 ; wippelhauser and squiers , 2015 ) . existing and new technologies are providing additional information for the life history and distribution of the atlantic sturgeon in marine waters ( nelson
“the proposed critical habitat identifies areas that provide important spawning and rearing grounds , plus migratory corridors for the atlantic sturgeon , ” added sobeck . “by protecting the sturgeon’s habitat , we are helping preserve this important species for future generations of americans . ”
we considered a no action ( status quo ) alternative to the proposed designation under which nmfs would not propose critical habitat for the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon . under this alternative , conservation and recovery of the listed species would depend upon the protection provided under the “jeopardy” provisions of section 7 of the esa . compared to the status quo , there would be no increase in the number of esa consultations or project modifications in the future that would not otherwise be required due to the listing of the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon . however , we have determined that the physical features forming the basis for our proposed critical habitat designation are essential to the conservation of the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon . thus , the lack of protection of the essential features from adverse modification and / or destruction could result in decline in abundance of the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon , and loss of associated economic and other values this species provides to society . thus , the no action alternative is not necessarily a “no cost” alternative for small entities .
the hudson river is one of the most studied areas for atlantic sturgeon . the upstream limit for atlantic sturgeon on the hudson river is the federal dam at the fall line , approximately river kilometer 246 ( dovel and berggren , 1983 ; bain , 1998 ; kahnle et al . , 1998 ; everly and boreman , 1999 ) . recent tracking data indicate atlantic sturgeon presence at this upstream limit ( d . fox , desu , pers . comm . ) . sturgeon occurring in the upstream limits of the river are suspected , but not yet confirmed , to belong to the new york bight dps .
the nmfs has major concerns about the project , warning that “dredge gear used in the delaware is known to injure or kill atlantic sturgeon” and that saltwater intrusion may inhibit reproduction .
atlantic sturgeon spawn in either fresh , or brackish waters over hard clay , rubble , gravel , or shell , usually in fast moving water in the spring or early summer .
= 20 ) of the fishing effort . the number of atlantic sturgeon incidentally encountered was positively associated with mean water depth , and it was explained by a quadratic polynomial regression (
2011 . gillnet configurations and their impact on atlantic sturgeon and marine mammal bycatch in the new jersey monkfish fishery : year 1 . ( ea133f - 10 - rq - 1160 )
dadswell mj . a review of the status of atlantic sturgeon in canada , with comparisons to populations in the united states and europe . fisheries . 2006 ; 21 : 218–29 .
despite the small sample size , the data showed that most of the atlantic sturgeon incidental encounters were associated with deeper water . many incidental encounters occurred at depths between 5 . 1 and 6 . 3 m . relating the number of the atlantic sturgeon encounters to southern flounder catch by depth showed that atlantic sturgeon seemed to prefer slightly deeper waters in september ; most southern flounder ( 39 . 7 % ) were taken in water depths between 3 . 75 and 5 m . we cannot be certain given the distribution of fishing effort and annual fluctuations in water temperature , but it is probable that atlantic sturgeon prefer slightly cooler waters than southern flounder . if this is the case , then a potential best management practice to reduce interactions with atlantic sturgeon could be for fishermen targeting southern flounder in albemarle sound to set their gillnet in more shallower water ; we recommend testing this hypothesis in the future .
for the susquehanna and potomac rivers , the 1998 and 2007 atlantic sturgeon status reviews provided the information for presence of atlantic sturgeon in the rivers , including : ( 1 ) historical newspaper accounts of large sturgeon in the lower reaches of the susquehanna river during the period 1765 to 1895 ; ( 2 ) personal communication of a limited but more recent sturgeon fishery on the susquehanna near perryville , maryland ( r . st . pierre , usfws , personal comm . ) ; ( 3 ) several sightings of sturgeon near the susquehanna river mouth during the period 1978 to 1987 ; ( 4 ) a historical fishery for atlantic sturgeon in the potomac ; and ( 5 ) observations of a large mature female atlantic sturgeon in the potomac river in 1970 ( ( nmfs and usfws , 1998 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . since the commercial fisheries targeted spawning sturgeon , historical captures of sturgeon in the susquehanna and potomac rivers , as well as the presence of the features necessary to support reproduction and recruitment in each river , indicate that there is the potential for spawning to occur in both the susquehanna and potomac .
citation : elvira b , leal s , doadrio i , almodóvar a ( 2015 ) current occurrence of the atlantic sturgeon acipenser oxyrinchus in northern spain : a new prospect for sturgeon conservation in western europe . plos one 10 ( 12 ) : e0145728 . urltoken
by - catch : atlantic sturgeon are incidentally caught by fisheries operations throughout the marine range of the species and in some riverine waters as well . because atlantic sturgeon mix extensively in marine waters and may use multiple river systems for spawning , foraging , and other life functions , they are subject to being caught as fishermen target species in other fisheries throughout their range .
in the chesapeake watershed , atlantic sturgeon runs have recently been discovered in the james , york , marshyhope , nanticoke , and rappahannock rivers . and balazik thinks they’re in the potomac .
historically , native american populations in the eastern united states harvested atlantic sturgeon for food using traps , weirs , snares , and spears . following european colonization , there was a commercial fishery for atlantic sturgeon in maine from the 1600s to the 1800s on the kennebec and androscoggin rivers . however , overfishing of the species caused commercial harvest to cease by the early 1900s .
henderson - arzapalo a , king tl . novel microsatellite markers for atlantic sturgeon ( acipenser oxyrinchus ) population delineation and broodstock management . mol ecol notes . 2002 : 2 : 437–9 .
family , and when mature , the atlantic sturgeon travels from the ocean upstream in rivers to spawn . female sturgeon lay eggs about every six years , and can lay up to about 8 million eggs in a single year . juveniles spend their first two to six years of age in fresh and brackish water before moving to the ocean . atlantic sturgeon can reach 60 years of age , 15 feet in length , and 800 pounds in weight .
atlantic sturgeon that are spawned in u . s . rivers or are captive progeny of atlantic sturgeon that were spawned in u . s . rivers are listed under the esa as five distinct population segments ( dpss ) . as of february 6 , 2012 , the new york bight , chesapeake bay , carolina , and south atlantic dpss were listed as endangered . the gulf of maine dps was listed as threatened . the greater atlantic region of noaa fisheries service has jurisdiction for implementing the esa with respect to the gulf of maine , new york bight , and chesapeake bay dpss . noaa fisheries service , southeast region oversees implementation of the esa for the carolina and south atlantic dpss .
when data were not available for certain rivers or portions of occupied rivers , we used our general knowledge of atlantic sturgeon spawning and applied river - specific information to determine the location of features essential to spawning . we considered salinity tolerance during the earliest life stages to determine appropriate habitat for larvae to develop as they mature . available telemetry data suggest that most atlantic sturgeon spawning activity in the savannah and altamaha start around river kilometer ( rkm ) 100 ( post et al . , 2014 ) . similar evidence from the edisto , neuse , and tar - pamlico rivers indicates spawning activity starts around rkm 80 . peer review comments on the draft economic and biological information to inform atlantic sturgeon critical habitat designation indicated that atlantic sturgeon spawn below the fall line , unlike shortnose sturgeon that may spawn well above the fall line .
at the time of listing , the delaware and hudson rivers were the only known spawning rivers for the new york bight dps of atlantic sturgeon ( dovel and berggren , 1983 ; bain , 1998 ; kahnle et al . , 1998 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ; calvo et al . , 2010 ) . in spring 2014 , several small atlantic sturgeon were captured in the connecticut river ( t . savoy , ct deep , pers . comm . ) . we presume these to be juveniles less than a year old based on their apparent size seen in a photo provided in the connecticut weekly diadromous fish report , report date may 20 , 2014 . though it was previously thought that the atlantic sturgeon population in the connecticut had been extirpated ( savoy and pacileo , 2003 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) , capture of these juvenile atlantic sturgeon strongly suggests that spawning is occurring in this river . for the housatonic river , the 1998 and 2007 status reviews for atlantic sturgeon described information for historical presence of atlantic sturgeon in that river , including whitworth ' s ( 1996 ) reference to a large fishing industry for atlantic sturgeon ( nmfs and usfws , 1998 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . since the commercial fisheries targeted spawning sturgeon , historical captures of sturgeon in the housatonic river as well as the presence of the features necessary to support reproduction and recruitment in this river indicates that there is the potential for spawning to occur in the housatonic .
the atlantic sturgeon salvage program is a network run by noaa to help conserve atlantic and shortnose sturgeon . in new york state , nysdec marine protected resources and hudson river fisheries unit work together to effectively protect this endangered species in both its marine and freshwater habitats . information regarding washed up sturgeons is sent to noaa , fisheries and they may provide a unique identification number for that particular sturgeon . we rely on assistance from the general public to help conserve this endangered species and encourage individuals to report any sturgeon they may come across .
a primitive fish , sturgeon has a fossil record dating back 85 million years .
gulf sturgeon jumping near rock bluff , suwannee river , florida ; july 2007 .
current research projects on wild populations of shortnose sturgeon include read more . . .
a gill net survey for adult shortnose and juvenile atlantic sturgeon was conducted in the cape fear river drainage from 1990 to 1992 , and replicated from 1997 to 2005 . each sampling period included two overnight sets . the 1990 - 1992 survey captured 100 atlantic sturgeon below lock and dam # 1 ( rkm 95 ) . in 1997 , 16 atlantic sturgeon were captured below lock and dam # 1 , an additional 60 atlantic sturgeon were caught in the brunswick ( a tributary of the cape fear river ) , and 12 were caught in the northeast cape river ( moser et al . 1998 ) . additionally , ross et al . ( 1988 in moser and ross , 1995 ) reported the capture of a gravid female in the cape fear river .
wirgin i , waldman jr , rosko j , gross r , collins mr , rogers sg , stabile j . genetic structure of atlantic sturgeon populations based on mitochondrial dna control region sequences .
lassalle g , crouzet p , gessner j , rochard e . global warming impacts and conservation responses for the critically endangered european atlantic sturgeon . biol conserv . 2010 ; 143 : 2441–52 .
( 2005 ) previously reviewed available information on substrate , salinity , and dissolved oxygen for the pamunkey and mattaponi rivers and concluded that atlantic sturgeon spawning habitat was likely present in each river .
critical habitat is designated for the carolina and south atlantic dpss of atlantic sturgeon as described in paragraphs ( a ) through ( b ) of this section . the textual descriptions in paragraphs ( c ) through ( d ) of this section are the definitive source for determining the critical habitat boundaries .
riverkeeper attributes rising deaths of atlantic sturgeons to construction on the replacement for the tappan zee bridge , above .
there is a fisheries awareness programme co - ordinated between national fishermen associations in atlantic north sea and wwf .
atlantic sturgeon spawning behavior and early life history have been extensively studied and are fairly well understood , though the exact location of spawning sites on many rivers ( particularly in the southeast ) is not known , or can change from time to time as water depth and substrate availability changes . however , there is substantial information in the scientific literature indicating the physical characteristics of atlantic sturgeon spawning and early life history habitat . therefore , to evaluate potential critical habitat , we focused on identifying the physical or biological features that support atlantic sturgeon reproduction and survival of early life stages .
atlantic states marine fisheries commission ( asmfc ) ( link leaves dec ' s website ) is responsible for the cooperative interstate management of atlantic sturgeon . during 1993 through 1995 , new york regulated the atlantic sturgeon fishery with size limits , seasons , area closures , and as more data became available , it became apparent that the hudson river stock was being overfished . new york implemented a harvest moratorium in 1996 . new jersey followed with a zero quota in the same year . in 1998 , the asmfc adopted amendment 1 to the interstate fishery management plan for atlantic sturgeon . this amendment banned possession of atlantic sturgeon in all u . s . atlantic coastal states . it also recommended that states with spawning populations sample adults every five years and identify bycatch losses in state waters . in 2012 , the hudson river stock was listed as an endangered species as part of the ny bight distinct population segment . a benchmark stock assessment is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2017 .
atlantic sturgeon are collected in various independent sampling programs conducted by the north carolina division of marine fisheries . only the albemarle sound independent gill net survey data are used in the current stock assessment . young - of - year , juvenile , and an occasional adult atlantic sturgeon are collected in this survey . the survey shows an increasing trend in abundance for juveniles ( figure 1 ) .
falls , the head - of - tide , is the upstream limit of atlantic sturgeon distribution in the androscoggin river . the dam is located approximately 10 kilometers upstream of the confluence of the kennebec and androscoggin rivers ( asmfc , 1998 ; nmfs and usfws , 2007 ; nmfs , 2013 ; wippelhauser and squiers , 2015 ) . the lockwood dam at river kilometer 103 is the current upstream limit for atlantic sturgeon in the kennebec river ; it is located at the site of a natural falls ( nmfs and usfws , 2007 ) . from 1837 to 1999 , the edwards dam was the upstream limit of atlantic sturgeon in the kennebec river . located near the head - of - tide , approximately 29 kilometers downstream of the lockwood dam at augusta , the edwards dam ( rkm 74 ) prevented atlantic sturgeon from accessing historical habitat . sturgeon were sighted above the former edwards dam site after removal of the dam and in june 2005 , an atlantic sturgeon was incidentally captured at river kilometer 102 ( nmfs and usfws , 2007 ; wippelhauser , 2012 ) .
phylogenetic relationships of ancient and recent atlantic sturgeon haplotypes . median - joining network of american atlantic and baltic sturgeon haplotypes calculated in network 4 . 2 . 0 . 1 based on control region sequences . black circle white dots represent mutations and orange circle white dots represent inferred haplotypes introduced by the algorithm . dot colors for haplotypes are congruent with colors used for mitochondrial haplotypes in figure 1 .


muricopsis ( muricopsis ) marcusi is a species of sea snail , a marine gastropod mollusk in the family muricidae , the murex snails or rock snails .

muricopsis marcusi

muricopsis marcusi muricopsis muricoides muricopsis necocheana muricopsis necocheana cf . muricopsis necocheanus muricopsis necocheanus albis ( f ) muricopsis nothokieneri muricopsis omanensis muricopsis planilirata muricopsis roseus muricopsis schrammi muricopsis species tunesia ( from ) muricopsis tokubeii muricopsis withrowi naquetia barclayi naquetia cumingii cumingii naquetia jickelii naquetia triqueter nassa francolina nassa serta nassa situla nassa tuamotensis neorapana muricata neorapana tuberculata neothais harpa neothais marginatra cf . nipponotrophon gorgon nucella canaliculata nucella canaliculata analoga ( f ) nucella crassilabra nucella dubia nucella emarginata nucella freycineti freycineti nucella freycinetii alabaster nucella heyseana nucella lamellosa lamellosa nucella lamellosa nucella lamellosa crispata ( f ) nucella lamellosa franciscana ( f ) nucella lamellosa hormica ( f ) nucella lamellosa neptunea ( f ) nucella lapillus
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- note : several protected species are illustrated here only for identification purposes . they are not for sale . - the photos in our gallery are in most cases just a sample from our stock , except when only one specimen is offered . we try to match the original color but it can vary if your screen is not correctly adjusted ( gamma correction ) .
cenozoic muricidae of the western atlantic region . part x - the subfamily muricopsinae tulane studies in geology and paleontology 26 49 - 160 . [ stated date : 25 may 1994 ; true date : pre 31 may . ]