What is sturgeon? Where does it live? How much does sturgeon cost? Where to buy sturgeon
Sturgeon is a fish with high nutritional value, appearing in many dishes of different countries. Let’s find out more information about this sturgeon as well as where to buy it and current market prices through this article!
1. What is sturgeon?
Sturgeon is the common name for a genus of fish with the scientific name Acipenser, which includes 21 species recorded in scientific reports. This is not only one of the largest freshwater fish, but also one of the longest-lived, with some individuals living up to 150 years.
Similar to sharks or rays, sturgeon are also classified as cartilaginous fish. Sturgeon have a long, tubular body with 5 rows of bony plates (cartilage), thick and rough skin. The tail is forked. The mouth is small and wedge-shaped, without teeth. The long, pointed nose has 2 pairs of hard barbels that act like radar to help the fish find prey.
Depending on the species, lifespan, and habitat, the color of sturgeon can vary. Sturgeon are bottom-feeding predators, and because their mouths have no teeth, their main food is crustaceans and small fish.
In terms of quality, sturgeon meat is sweet, fragrant, and firm, containing a large amount of vitamin A, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, and natural DHA.
In addition, sturgeon cartilage contains a large amount of collagen, omega-6, etc., which helps to enhance physical strength and nourish the body very well. It is also a very good nutritional food for women, especially pregnant women.
2. Where does sturgeon live?
The habitat of sturgeon is very wide, many species of sturgeon live mainly in the sea and only migrate into rivers and streams to reproduce (for example, in the Northern Hemisphere and commonly found in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, Caspian Sea, and Black Sea).
A few other species live entirely in freshwater (the Delaware River, Rhine, Garonne, Elbe, Volga, Danube and Lake Ladoga).
Sturgeon are usually found at the bottom of rivers and seas, as this species prefers cold, clean, natural water sources with high dissolved oxygen levels to thrive and grow well.
In Vietnam, only Sapa and Lam Dong, where nature is blessed with favorable weather and climate, have sufficient conditions to raise this fish.
3. Types of sturgeon
Currently, many scientific reports record that there are up to 21 species of sturgeon existing on Earth. Among them, 6 common species can be mentioned as follows:
Common Sturgeon
The common sturgeon, also known as the European sturgeon, Baltic sturgeon, or Atlantic sturgeon, has the scientific name Acipenser sturio. They are distributed in all seas of Europe, except for the Black Sea.
This species can grow up to 4m long. They have 11-13 bony plates along the back and 29-31 along the flanks. Their mouths change with age, becoming blunt and short in older fish.
The European sturgeon is now being pushed to the brink of extinction due to overfishing.
Russian Sturgeon
Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) is one of the high economic value fish in Russia. They are similar in size to the common sturgeon and are found in many rivers flowing into the Black and Caspian Seas.
More than 1/4 of the caviar and other processed products in Russia and Iran come from this species.
Stellate Sturgeon
The stellate sturgeon, with the scientific name Acipenser stellatus, lives mainly in rivers flowing into the Black and Azov Seas of Russia. They have a long and pointed nose, but the difference is that they have only one barbel without fringes.
Although its size is only about half of the species mentioned above, the commercial value of this fish is not inferior, and in many places, the eggs and meat of this species have a higher value than other varieties.
Lake Sturgeon
Lake sturgeon has the scientific name Acipenser rubicundus or Acipenser fulvescens. In recent years, this species has become very popular and a profitable industry in different areas of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie.
People here make the most of sturgeon products. The fish meat is cut into slabs, soaked in salt water, and then smoked. The caviar is salted and exported to European countries. The remaining parts, such as the head, fins, and tail, are used to extract oil.
Sterlet
Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is one of the smallest sturgeon species, rarely exceeding 1m in length. Sterlet are mainly distributed in seas such as the Black, Caspian, Azov, Baltic, White, Barents, and Kara Seas, and they usually migrate to river areas during the breeding season.
The distinguishing feature of sterlet compared to other European sturgeon species is its long, narrow snout and fringed barbels.
Beluga Sturgeon
Beluga sturgeon has the scientific name Acipenser huso or Huso huso. This species is characterized by the lack of bony plates on the snout and flattened, ribbon-like barbels. Beluga sturgeon is one of the largest species in the sturgeon family, reaching up to 5m in length and weighing over 900kg.
Beluga sturgeon can be found in the Black, Caspian, and Azov Seas, along the major rivers of Russia and the Danube River during their migration for reproduction.
Their meat, caviar, and swim bladders are more valuable than those of most smaller but more common fish species. However, the number of wild beluga sturgeon is declining dramatically due to overfishing.
4. How much does sturgeon cost?
Sturgeon is considered one of the premium fish species. Depending on the time and meat quality, the price of sturgeon can fluctuate.
The average price of sturgeon products is as follows (prices updated to July 2021):
- The price of whole, fresh sturgeon is currently around 280,000 VND/kg.
- Chilled sturgeon is usually sold at an average price of about 220,000 VND/kg.
- Sturgeon caviar is sold on the market for about 150-200 million VND/kg for the common type and nearly 1.8 billion VND/kg for white sturgeon caviar.
This is considered the most luxurious food in the world. The reason for this is the declining number of sturgeon. At the same time, sturgeon takes up to 20 years to reproduce, and the caviar extraction process is also very complex.
5. Where to buy quality sturgeon
Nowadays, thanks to the development of trade, sturgeon is widely sold in many places. You can buy sturgeon at seafood markets, supermarkets, imported seafood stores nationwide, or on e-commerce sites with food safety certificates!
Hopefully, the information shared by Dien May XANH can help you answer all your questions about sturgeon, common types of sturgeon, where to buy it, and current market prices. We wish you the best in finding the fish you desire!
