It is a true monster, gigantic, and one of the most surprising animals in the world. He beluga sturgeon (spindle spindle) It can weigh more than 2,000 kilos, as much as a rhinoceros, ysspecimens almost 8 meters long have been captured, as big as an orca. Thatl eldest fresh water fish of the planet, lives in Europe and can live up to 150 years. Problem: although they barely have ‘enemies’, they are in danger of extinction.
The beluga sturgeon is an anadromous species: It lives in marine waters but migrates in the spring or autumn towards the river to reproduce in shallow areas. It grows in the waters of the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The Danube River and the Black Sea are its habitats par excellence. Decades ago he also lived in the Ebro.
The female lays between 300,000 and 7,500,000 eggs, which adhere to stones on the seabed. When they hatch, the juveniles will return downstream 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 steep snout above the mouth, and five rows of bony plates (scutes) along the body, one at the back, one on each side, and two at the bottom. The body is predominantly dark gray or greenish in color and the belly tends to be white.
The fleshy barbels in front of the mouth, which are feathered at the ends, help them locate their prey on the seabed and river beds. The young feed mainly on small invertebrates and the adults tend to consume a wide variety of fish, especially anchovies, gobies and herring.
Prehistoric survivor
It’s a prehistoric survivor: Their appearance is practically the same as their ancestors, who swam in the seas and rivers when dinosaurs dominated the planet.
Among the causes of the recession of the species, the invasion of their habitat by humansthe construction of reservoirs, dams and obstacles that prevent the rivers from rising, pollutionthe capture of juvenile specimens and the search for unfertilized eggs which are served as caviar in the most exclusive restaurants.
And the eggs of this species are used to make what experts call ‘the real caviar’, also know as ‘beluga caviar‘. It is the most prized in gastronomic circles. So much so that can reach 20,000 dollars per kilogramwhich has led the beluga sturgeon to appear 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 Bay of Cádiz 3,000 years ago) and the Romans.
Likewise, during the Middle Ages they were known in France as ‘the King’s Fish‘, for its boneless meat, but above all for its eggs. However, its meat is not highly appreciated today.
Beluga sturgeons spend most of their time at the bottom of water columns, near the substrate. Hence, it is difficult to follow them and investigate their habits.
Caesarean sections to remove eggs
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the beluga sturgeon as endangered specie. It is a protected species and listed in the ‘Convention relating to the Conservation of Wildlife and the Natural Environment of Europe’, which also prohibits any intentional killing of these fish in the Mediterranean Sea.
Currently, most beluga sturgeon populations are being artificially supported in hatcheries.
The traditional way to obtain caviar involved the death of the fish, but in recent years fish farms have practiced cesarean section deliveries: The eggs are removed and the fish are kept alive so that they can produce more in subsequent years.
The Austrian documentary ‘Billion Dollar Fish’, from 2012, reveals the seriousness of the situation that this species is going through.
The protection of this species also extends to the United States, where the Fish and Wildlife Service already banned the import of beluga caviar from the Caspian Sea and any other product derived from this fish in 2005. Seven years earlier, that organization had issued a statement in which it highlighted that More than 50% of the world’s caviar trade was illegal.
The beluga sturgeon surpasses the Mekong catfish in length (Pangasianodon gigas), which reaches 3 meters, and the pirarucú (Arapaima gigas) Amazonian, which can exceed 3 meters. It is also heavier than the sunfish (Cool), with an average weight of one ton, which lives in tropical and temperate waters around the world.
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Contact of the Environment section: crisisclimatica@prensaiberica.es