By checking the DNA of adult fish against DNA from larvae fish, researchers can determine what percentage of adult fish are successfully reproducing. While they have the fish, researchers also measure the fish's length and girth and weigh it. As of Tuesday, researchers had tagged approximately 70 fish. It's difficult to say what percentage of the overall Black River system that number constitutes. Female sturgeon spawn only every four to seven years.
Male sturgeon spawn every other year.
Unlike some other species of fish, sturgeon don't die after spawning. Sturgeon can live to be up to 100 years old. After tagging is completed, Smith will also be doing larvae studies. He will be looking at both eggs and the larvae sturgeon. Among the things researchers would like to get a handle on are egg mortality rate and if there are places in the Black River system that serve as nursery areas for small sturgeon.