Amur Sturgeon

Sinosturio schrenckii, the Amur sturgeon, sometimes known as the Japanese sturgeon, is a freshwater species of fish in the sturgeon family. Being able to grow up to a length of 3 meters and weight of 190 kg, this species can be primarily found in its two distinct morphs of grey and brown in the Amur River and Amur Estuary. This sturgeon is a potamodromous migrator, performing their migrations through the Amur river.

Due to over-fishing and caviar production, this species is currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN red list.

Acipenser schrenckii inhabits the Amur River basin and adjacent marine waters of the northwestern Pacific, including the Sea of Okhotsk and northern Sea of Japan. The species requires both deep marine waters for feeding and specific freshwater river habitats with gravel or rocky substrates for successful spawning and early development.