The Sturgeon

The Sturgeon

In nature there are about 26 different types of sturgeon. Unlike many other fish, the sturgeon is particularly long-lived, it is not known exactly how long it can live, in optimal conditions can 'get up to 100 years. The sturgeon is a bony fish that is devoid of bones, has a mouth positioned under the snout with which explores the seabed to search for food. It is mainly omnivorous, its most developed sense is the sense of smell, its whiskers are like radars that scan the ground. Most sturgeon are anadromous, but unlike Pacific salmon, they return to live in the sea after laying their eggs. In the Adriatic Sea we had 3 types of sturgeon including the Acipenser Naccarii commonly called Adriatic sturgeon. One of the most renowned specimens in the world is the Huso Huso sturgeon better known as Beluga, also called Ladano sturgeon. Definitely the largest of the sturgeon reaching a weight of more than 1000kg. It is very common in eastern countries but in the past it was also present in Italy in the Adriatic Sea. According to legend, professional fishermen from the Po River engaged in epic battles to catch these gigantic fish.  Beluga sturgeon can live over 100 years and reach 8 meters in length. It takes about 20 years to obtain this precious caviar.