Beluga
CR

Beluga

Huso huso

DecliningCREUCREU

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The beluga, also known as the beluga sturgeon or great sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon, which are anadromous fish of the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and formerly in the Adriatic Sea. Based on maximum size, it is the third-most-massive living species of bony fish.

Heavily fished for the female's valuable roe, known as beluga caviar, wild populations have been greatly reduced by overfishing and poaching, leading IUCN to classify the species as critically endangered.

The Beluga sturgeon faces catastrophic population decline primarily due to overfishing for its highly valuable caviar, which has driven intensive commercial exploitation for over a century. Dam construction across the Caspian Sea basin has blocked critical spawning migrations and fragmented remaining populations. Illegal fishing and poaching continue despite protective measures, while pollution from industrial activities and agricultural runoff degrades water quality in both marine and freshwater habitats.

Threat summary

Habitat

Beluga sturgeon inhabit the Caspian, Black, and Azov seas, spending most of their lives in brackish and marine waters. They migrate into large river systems including the Volga, Danube, and Ural rivers for spawning, requiring access to deep freshwater pools and gravel beds for reproduction.

Marine oceanic· majorWetlands (inland) - Permanent rivers/streams· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionHabitat & natural process restorationSpecies managementSpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationLegislationCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in ACIPENSERIDAE

Sakhalin SturgeonCR

Sakhalin Sturgeon

Acipenser mikadoi

Declining
Siberian SturgeonCR

Siberian Sturgeon

Acipenser baerii

Declining
Pallid SturgeonCR

Pallid Sturgeon

Scaphirhynchus albus

Declining
Syr-Darya Shovelnose SturgeonCR

Syr-Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon

Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi

Declining

Threatened in Austria

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
EN

Lyophyllum deliberatum

Unknown
VU

Large Tree-chernes

Dendrochernes cyrneus

Unknown
EN

Pipizella nigriana

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Beluga classified as Critically Endangered?
Beluga is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Beluga sturgeon faces catastrophic population decline primarily due to overfishing for its highly valuable caviar, which has driven intensive commercial exploitation for over a century. Dam construction across the Caspian Sea basin has blocked critical spawning migrations and fragmented remaining populations. Illegal fishing and poaching continue despite protective measures, while pollution from industrial activities and agricultural runoff degrades water quality in both marine and freshwater habitats.
Where does Beluga live?
Beluga occurs in Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, China, and Czechia (plus 15 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Beluga?
The main threats to Beluga are 2.1, 5.1, 5.4, and 7.2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.