and three along the Eastern Coasts of the U.S.
or about the same time as Sharks.
which also has a primordial appearance.
that sets this fish apart from
others.
Shortnose Sturgeon
Photo credit: Noel Burkhead
Many Sturgeon, not all, are anadromous, which means
that
they live in two worlds, freshwater and seawater
and like the Salmon, they go home to spawn.
Dams blocking the Sturgeon's access to spawning
areas have been a key factor in their decline.

Gulf Sturgeon
Photo credit: Noel Burkhead
Our species of Florida Sturgeon call two places
home,
the beautiful
and boat popular Suwannee River
and Gulf Coastal Region in the Florida Panhandle
and the St. John's River.

Gulf Sturgeon jumping on the Suwannee
Photo credit: Tim Ross
Each summer, they can be seen on the Suwannee
jumping as much as six feet in the air and
occasionally,
some boaters have been injured in these displays.
A firm reason for this jumping display is a
continued
debate among the scientists who study them.
Sturgeon are bottom dwellers whose diet
consists of insects and mollusks found in their
preferred waters of deep, slow moving rivers,
as well as bays and estuaries.

Shortnose Sturgeon at Surface
Photo credit: Nancy Haley/NOAA
The Gulf and Shortnose Sturgeon in our area
are listed as either Endangered or Threatened.
Places to learn more:
Earth Justice
Critical Habitat Proposed
Environment News Service
Endangered Sturgeon Returning to Suwannee River
FFWS
Facts about Gulf Sturgeon
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
A Comparison of Three Sturgeon Species
Live Science
Save This Ugly Fish
National Geographic
Attacks Over for Now
Giant Jumping Sturgeon
Jumping Sturgeon
Science Daily
Endangered Billfish
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Decline in Florida's Reef Fish
USFWS
Sturgeon
USGS
Sturgeon
Walking with the Alligators

Write to Gator Woman
amberziek6 at
centurylink.net

Keep Florida Wildlife Wild and Alive~
Web Design by:
Gator-Woman
Educating Visitors About Florida's Wildlife Since March 4, 2009
Last edited March 7, 2021
Links, questions and feedback are always appreciated.
Walking With The Alligators.com does not share or sell any visitor information.
2008 - 2021 Walking With The Alligators.com
All Rights Reserved.