Overview  News  Technology  Conditions of Use  Privacy Policy  Partners & Contributors  Awards & Recognition  ADW Staff  Contact Us  Spinning Skulls  About Mammals  Frog Calls  Resources for College Instructors  Resources for K-12 Instructors  Contribute to ADW  What's in a Scientific Name?  Authority Lists: Where We Get Our Names  Name, Rank, and Serial Number  Organismal classification: evolutionary relationships & ranks  Glossary  Search Guide  Related Links  Contact Us  Report an Error

Structured Inquiry Search — preview

Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Actinopterygii Order Acipenseriformes Suborder Acipenseroidei Family Acipenseridae

• Information
• Pictures
• Classification

2009/11/22 01:25:36.599 US/Eastern

By Tanya Dewey

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Acipenseriformes

Suborder: Acipenseroidei

Family: Acipenseridae

Members of this Family

There are 23 species of sturgeons, all found in the northern hemisphere. They are mostly found in large, freshwater lakes and rivers but some species also travel to the ocean and return to rivers and lakes to breed. Sturgeons can grow to be very large, up to 4.2 meters. Sturgeons have rows of large, bony scutes on their bodies. Their mouths are positioned ventrally and have 4 barbels. All sturgeon species have been extensively used by humans for their meat and their roe. As a result, all sturgeon species are either threatened or endangered.

For More Information

Find

• BioKIDS: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

2009/11/22 01:25:36.690 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Dewey, T. 2006. "Acipenseridae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 23, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Acipenseridae.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

Other formats: OWL

Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. Report Error — Comment
©1995-2008, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors.
All rights reserved.