European Sturgeon
Acipenser sturio
Wildlife Explorer collectible · European Sturgeon
🐟 Discover the European Sturgeon
The European Sturgeon is one of the oldest fish species in the world and once swam through almost every major river in Europe, including the Rhine and the Meuse. Today, the species is one of the continent's rarest fish.
🔎 At a glance
- Scientific: Acipenser sturio
- Habitat: naturally in European rivers and coastal waters, now almost exclusively the Gironde basin in France
- Lifestyle: migratory fish: lives in the sea, swims upriver to spawn
- Diet: bottom-dwelling animals such as worms, crustaceans, and small fish
🌎 Where does it live?
Originally, the European Sturgeon inhabited almost all European coasts and the rivers flowing into them, including the Rhine and the Meuse. Due to dams, pollution, and overfishing, only one natural breeding population remains: in the Gironde basin in France.
🐾 How it lives
The European Sturgeon is an anadromous fish: it spends most of its life at sea but migrates upstream to spawn. Sturgeons live to a great age and only reproduce late in life, making the species particularly vulnerable to overfishing.
✨ Special features of this animal
Sturgeons belong to one of the oldest living fish families and have existed for some 200 million years. An adult European Sturgeon can grow to more than 3 meters in length and live for decades.
💡 Did you know?
- The European Sturgeon once swam through the Rhine and the Meuse, including in the Netherlands.
- There is only one natural breeding population left in the world, in France.
- Sturgeons have remained virtually unchanged for about 200 million years.
- Reintroduction projects are underway to bring the species back to European rivers.
🌿 Threats & protection
The European Sturgeon is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List—one of Europe's most threatened fish species. Dams and hydraulic engineering works block its migratory routes to spawning grounds, while pollution and historical overfishing have decimated the population for decades. Protection of free river connections is crucial for its survival.
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