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Acipenser brevirostrum
Common Name: Shortnose Sturgeon
Species: Acipenser brevirostrum
The shortnose sturgeon is a native fish of South Carolina that is both federally and state endangered. The shortnose has been endangered since March 11, 1967. The shortnose has a heterocercal tail (the upper lobe is much longer than the lower lube) and a body covered with 5 rows of large bony plates. This fish has an elongated, bony snout, with a tube like mouth located on the underside of the head. The mouth protrudes several inches when the fish is feeding on something. The color of the shortnose varies from grayish-olive to a light brownish color. There is a slight white tint to the fish. Inside their lips are greater than 60 percent of the distance between the eyes.
You will be able to find this fish located in Winayah Bay, Pee Dee River, and Lake Marion in South Carolina. Sturgeons may live in main channels of large rivers, estuaries, and open-ocean, since they can also be found in all water depths in these habitats.
Due to the over-fishing, loss of habitat, limited access to spawning areas and water pollution, the lives of shortnose sturgeons have become endangered. There is a law against catching the shortnose and killing it. If someone happens to catch one, they should throw it back because the population of the shortnose is becoming very low since 1991. The shortnose has been tagged to date and has been captured and measured since 1993. There are currently 2,700 shortnose left since the last tagging.
The shortnose is one of the oldest living species of fish with the last 50 to 75 years of having been reported. Reproduction of the shortnose depends on the environment that it is in. If the environmental conditions are not acceptable, the shortnose will not spawn, reabsorbing their eggs and milt (sperm). Females only spawn every 3 to 5 years after reaching sexual maturity at the age of 12. Males are likely to spawn every year after 6 to 10 years of sexual maturity.
reference - http://www.fws-nctc.org/thumnls.cfm photographer - Duane Raver
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