Family: Acipenseridae, Sturgeons view all from this family
Description The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) is a
member of the Acipenseridae family and is among one of the
oldest fish species in the world. Its range extends from New
Brunswick, Canada to the eastern coast of Florida. It was in
great abundance when the first settlers came to America, but has
since declined due to overfishing and water pollution. It is
considered threatened, endangered and even extinct in much of
its original habitats. The fish can reach sixty years of age,
fifteen feet (4.6 m) in length and over eight hundred pounds
(360 kg) in weight. Rather than having true scales, the Atlantic
sturgeon has five rows of bony plates known as scutes. Specimens
weighing over eight hundred pounds and nearly fifteen feet in
length have been recorded, but they typically grow to be six to
eight feet (1.8–2.4 m) and no more than three hundred pounds
(140 kg). Its coloration ranges from bluish-black and olive
green on its back to white on its