Huso huso (Linnaeus, 1758)

Beluga

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Acipenseriformes \| Acipenseridae \| Acipenserinae
Synonyms	Acipenser huso, Acipenser albula, Acipenser beluga, ... more
Common names	Béluga, Esturión beluga, Grand esturgeon, ... more

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Picture by Hofinger, E.

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Main reference

Bauchot, M.-L. 1987. (Ref. 3397)
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Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 500 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9988); common length : 215 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 2,072.0 kg (Ref. 9988); max. reported age: 118 years (Ref. 47437)

Environment

Demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 70 - 180 m

Climate / Range

Temperate; 10°C - 20°C (Ref. 2059); 57°N - 35°N, 17°E - 60°E

Basins of the Black and Caspian seas; rare in the Adriatic Sea. Artificially propagated; considered vulnerable to endangered (Ref. 6866). Appendix III of the Bern Convention (protected fauna). International trade restricted (CITES II, since 1.4.98; CMS Appendix II). Occurrence in Greece along the coasts of North Aegean Sea is doubtful (Ref. 41624).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 62 - 73; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 28 - 41. Snout moderate and pointed, turning slightly upward. Lower lip not continuous, interrupted at center. Barbels oval or flat, leaf-like posteriorly, reaching almost to mouth. Five rows of scutes, dorsal 11-14 (first one smallest), lateral 41-52 on each side, ventral 9-11 on each side. Back ash-grey or greenish, flanks lighter, belly white.

The largest sturgeon and largest European freshwater fish. In Guinness Book of Records as the most expensive fish (Ref. 6472). In the past specimens of 6 m length have been reported (Ref. 6866). Feeds mostly on sea fishes (Black Sea whiting, anchovies, flatfishes, gobies, fry of bottom-living fishes), also crustaceans, mollusks, mysids and amphipods. Fisheries are based almost entirely on the value of the caviar, but meat also is sold fresh, smoked and frozen; eaten broiled, boiled, fried and baked (Ref. 9988). Bester, a hybrid of female Huso huso and male sterlet Acipenser ruthenus, has been successfully cultivated for its high quality eggs (Ref. 9988).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Endangered (EN) (A2d)	Harmless

Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

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Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.1; tm=13-22; tmax=100; Fec=360,000)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high vulnerability (89 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Casal, Christine Marie V.

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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