It is a real beast, huge and one of the most amazing animals in the world. HE beluga sturgeon (spindle) It can weigh more than 2000 kilos, as heavy as a rhinoceros. YesSamples almost 8 meters long were seized, as big as an orca. HEI am the greatest freshwater fish of the planet, lives in Europe and can live up to 150 years. Problem: Although they have very few ‘enemies’, they are in danger of extinction.
Beluga sturgeon is an anadromous species: It lives in marine waters but migrates to rivers in spring or autumn. to breed in shallow areas. It grows in the waters of the Caspian Sea, Black Sea and Mediterranean. The Danube River and the Black Sea are its perfect habitats. Decades ago he also lived on the Ebro.
The female lays between 300,000 and 7,500,000 eggs, which stick to stones on the seabed. When the hatchlings hatch, they will return downriver to the sea. Females do not reach sexual maturity until 15-18 years of age.and they reproduce every 2-4 years.
It has an elongated, flattened body, a slightly erect snout above the muzzle, and five rows of bone plates (incisions) along the body, one on the back, one on each side, and two on the bottom. The body is predominantly dark gray or greenish in color and the belly tends to be white.
Fleshy barbels with feathery tips in front of the mouth help them find their prey on the seabed and river beds. Juveniles feed mostly on small invertebrates, while adults tend to consume a wide variety of fish, especially anchovies, rockfish, and herring.
prehistoric survivor
This is a prehistoric survivor: Their appearance is almost identical to their ancestors who swam the seas and rivers during the time when dinosaurs dominated the planet.
Among the reasons for the decline of species occupation of living spaces by humans, construction of reservoirs, dams and barriers preventing rivers from rising, pollution, capture of young specimens And Look for unfertilized eggs It is served as caviar in the most exclusive restaurants.
And the eggs of this species are used to make what experts say: ‘real caviar’, Also known as ‘beluga caviar‘. It is the most valuable in gastronomy circles. So much so that Can reach $20,000 per kilogramThe incident that caused the beluga sturgeon to be included in the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ as the most expensive fish in the world.
This species was highly appreciated by some ancient peoples, such as the Phoenicians (there is evidence that they consumed it in the Gulf of Cádiz 3000 years ago) and the Romans.
Likewise, they were known as ” in France in the Middle Ages.King’s Fish‘, for its boneless meat, but above all for its eggs. However, its meat is not much appreciated today.
Beluga sturgeons spend most of their time at the bottom of water columns near the bottom. Therefore, it is difficult to follow them and study their habits.
Caesarean sections to remove eggs
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies beluga sturgeon as: endangered species. It is a protected species and is listed in the ‘Convention on the Conservation of Europe’s Wildlife and Natural Environment’, which also prohibits the intentional killing of these fish in the Mediterranean.
Currently most white sturgeon populations are artificially supported in hatcheries.
The traditional way to obtain caviar involved killing the fish, but in recent years fish farms have implemented this method. cesarean births: Eggs are removed and fish are kept alive so they can produce more in later years.
The documentary ‘Billion Dollar Fish’, shot in Austria in 2012, reveals the seriousness of the situation of this species.
Protection of this species also extends to the United States, where the Fish and Wildlife Service has already banned the import of beluga caviar and other products derived from this fish from the Caspian Sea in 2005. Seven years ago this organization issued a statement emphasizing that: More than 50% of the world’s caviar trade was illegal.
The length of the beluga sturgeon exceeds the Mekong catfish (Pangasianodon giantsPirarucu reaching 3 meters (Arapaima gigas) Amazonian can exceed 3 meters. It is also heavier than sunfish (Cool) is a species that lives in tropical and temperate waters around the world, with an average weight of one ton.
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