Rare Fish of the Gulf of Mexico: Gulf Sturgeon

The Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) is a living fossil and the Gulf’s most iconic endangered fish.

Profile

• Size: Up to 8 ft (2.4 m), 200 lb (90 kg).
• Range: Coastal rivers & estuaries from Louisiana to Florida (Pearl, Pascagoula, Escambia, Yellow, Choctawhatchee, Apalachicola, Suwannee).
• Life Cycle: Anadromous—spawns in freshwater spring (Feb–Apr), feeds in estuarine/marine waters rest of year.
• Diet: Bottom invertebrates (shrimp, crabs, worms, mollusks).
• Status: Threatened (ESA 1991); Critical Habitat designated 2003.

Threats

• Dams blocking spawning runs
• Habitat degradation (dredging, sedimentation)
• Bycatch & poaching (caviar value)
• Water quality (nutrients, contaminants)

Conservation

Fishing bans, habitat restoration, fish passage projects, population monitoring, and public outreach aim to recover this Jurassic relic.