Sterletus persicus (Borodin, 1897)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 54

Sterletus persicus

Common name. Persian sturgeon

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of Acipenser and Sterletus in West Asia by: ○ head squarish, if seen from below / ○ dorsum greyish-blue to black, belly white / ○ base of barbels closer to tip of snout than to mouth / ○ barbels not fimbriate / ○ lower lip interrupted in middle / ○ snout elongate, massive and curved downward / ○ dorsal profiles of head and body continuous / ○ no plate along posterior part of anal base / ○ no plate along posterior part of anal base / ○ 0–1 plate along lower edge of caudal peduncle / ○ 15–31 gill rakers / ○ 7–19 dorsal scutes / ○ 23–41 lateral scutes / ○ 7–13 ventral scutes. Size up to 2280 mm TL and 70 kg.

Distribution. Caspian basin, most abundant in southern part. Also, in south-eastern Black Sea basin along Georgian and Anatolian coasts where it enters Rioni and previously lower Danube.

Habitat. At sea, coastal and estuarine zones. Spawns in strong-current habitats in main channel of large and deep rivers on stony or gravel bottoms. Juveniles spend their first summer in riverine habitats.

Biology. Anadromous. Males first spawn at 8–15 years, females at 12–18 years. Does not spawn every year. Spawns June–August when temperature rises above 16°C. In southern Caspian basin, spawns April–September, but

Sterletus stellatus ; Danube, Hungary; ~ 1200 mm TL. © Z. Sallai.