What habitats do sturgeon occupy?

Sturgeons are native to rivers, lakes, deltas, estuaries and coastal waters of Eurasia and North America; some species are exclusively freshwater while others use marine coastal areas and may enter the open ocean.

How big do sturgeon get?

Many species commonly reach 2–3.5 m (7–12 ft) in length, and the largest recorded individual (a beluga) measured 7.2 m and weighed 1,571 kg.

Why are sturgeon threatened?

Several species are heavily harvested for their roe (caviar); this overexploitation, together with other conservation threats, has driven most species toward critically endangered status.

Are sturgeon long‑lived and slow to mature?

Yes—sturgeons are long‑lived and late‑maturing, traits that increase their vulnerability to overexploitation.

How do sturgeon feed and reproduce?

Most are bottom‑feeding fishes; many are anadromous, migrating upstream to spawn and spending much of their lives feeding in deltas and estuaries.

What other fishes are closely related to sturgeon?

Paddlefish (family Polyodontidae) are the only other living family in the order Acipenseriformes.

Where did sturgeons originate?

Fossil evidence shows sturgeons date back to at least the Late Cretaceous, and their acipenseriform relatives extend to the Early Jurassic.

Is caviar produced from sturgeon?

Yes—several sturgeon species are harvested for their roe, which is processed into caviar.

Where to See Sturgeon While Diving

“Sturgeon” refers to 27 species in the family Acipenseridae, grouped into five genera (Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus, Sinosturio and Pseudoscaphirhynchus). They are one of two living families of Acipenseriformes alongside paddlefish. Sturgeons have ancient origins, with sturgeon fossils known from the Late Cretaceous and acipenseriform relatives dating back to the Early Jurassic. Typical features include an elongated, spindle‑like body, smooth, scaleless skin armored by five lateral rows of bony plates called scutes, and a heterocercal caudal fin. Several species reach large sizes (commonly 2–3.5 m / 7–12 ft), and some individuals have been recorded much larger. Many sturgeons are anadromous bottom‑feeders that migrate upstream to spawn and spend much of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries; other species are exclusively freshwater or primarily marine and may venture into the open ocean. Several species are harvested for their roe (processed as caviar), and widespread overexploitation combined with other conservation threats has brought most species to critically endangered status.

Widespread overexploitation for roe, combined with other conservation threats, has resulted in severe declines and critical endangerment for most sturgeon species.

Many sturgeon are anadromous bottom‑feeders that migrate upstream to spawn and spend much of their lives feeding in river deltas and estuaries; some species are exclusively freshwater, while others primarily inhabit marine coastal areas and may venture into the open ocean.

The strongest linked planning options currently surface around destinations such as Raja Ampat, Bonaire, Bunaken and Manado (North Sulawesi) and countries such as Germany, Austria, Belgium for divers building trips around sturgeons.