White Sturgeon In Alaska

Although the White Sturgeon is primarily a freshwater species some individuals make forays into the sea Veinott et al.

White sturgeon in alaska. The Kootenai River population of white sturgeon is restricted to about 168 miles in the Kootenai River from upstream of Cora Linn Dam in British Columbia to Kootenai Falls 31 miles below Libby Dam. Pacific Coast from Alaska Bay Alaska to central California and extreme northwestern Montana Page and Burr 1991. Coast of North America from Mexico to southeastern Alaska.

This primitive looking fish has large bony plates running down its back a long flat snout and a deeply-forked tail. Today the largest white sturgeon grow to 10 feet 3 m and 400 pounds 181 kg Diet. It is the largest freshwater fish in North America.

Intense international demand for high-priced caviar has driven the species to near extinction in the Caspian Sea region Beluga RussianOsetra StellateSevruga. It is possible that in the past they spawned in some of these other rivers. There are two species of sturgeons in Alaska waters.

Collisions with boats and even bite marks on propellers are explained by the white sturgeons armor plating scraping the boat or blades and the fishs tendency to jump out of the water an unusual trait for a bottom-feeder. Mainly these are found in southeastern Alaska and the center of their distribution is in waters off the mouth of the Columbia River. This range overlaps with that of White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus thus it is important to distinguish between the two species as they are generally similar in appearance.

This species is landlocked in the Columbia River drainage Montana and perhaps Lake Shasta in California. Often compared to osetra this caviar has glistening dark pearls ranging from dark brown to black. Formerly up to 20 feet 61 m and 1800 pounds 816 kg.

The green sturgeon has a smaller range in Alaska and is the smaller of the two. Freshwater White Sturgeon may also enter marine waters along the Pacific Coast between southern Alaska and Baja California. 2017-06-30 That leads many to believe Illie is a white sturgeon which is indigenous to Alaska and can reach 20 feet long and weight 1500 pounds.