At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The Russian sturgeon is a large, long-lived fish of the Caspian and Black Sea region, a major source of caviar. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It migrates up rivers to spawn and matures slowly.
Range & habitat
The Caspian and Black Sea basins and their rivers.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Overfishing for caviar
- Poaching
- Dams blocking spawning migrations
Why it matters
An ancient, slow-maturing fish hammered by the caviar trade and dammed rivers, the Russian sturgeon is a flagship for sturgeon conservation.
Sources
Sources for Russian Sturgeon
- IUCN Red List — look up Russian Sturgeon (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Russian sturgeon so valued?
It is a key source of caviar, which drives both legal fishing and poaching; combined with its slow maturation, this has caused severe declines.
Why is the Russian sturgeon Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite overfishing for caviar, poaching, and dams blocking the river migrations it needs to spawn. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: