Starry Sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus, also known as Drakul and (Turkish

Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

) Uzun Burun (long nosed) is a species of sturgeon

Sturgeon

Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...

s, living in the Black, Azov, and Caspian sea basins. It is rare in the Adriatic Sea. It reaches 220 cm (over 7 feet) and weighs up to 80 kg (approximately 180 Lbs). The maximum reported age for this species is 27 years. The starry sturgeon is a harmless species.

It is an important commercial species. It is one of the three most important species for caviar

Caviar

Caviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....

 along with the Beluga sturgeon

Beluga sturgeon

The beluga or European sturgeon is a species of anadromous fish in the sturgeon family of order Acipenseriformes. It is found primarily in the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea...

 and the Persian sturgeon

Persian sturgeon

The Persian sturgeon is an endangered species of sturgeon.-Description:The Persian Sturgeon has an elongated, bulky body with a bluish tint. This type of sturgeon is endemic to the Caspian and Black Sea, but primarily resides in the Caspian Sea. Populations may also occur in tributaries and...

. Its flesh is considered an expensive delicacy in the Caspian

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...

 region. It is used to make kababs

Kebab

Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...

, or is consumed pan fried, broiled, or smoked. There have been several attempts in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, and the US to adapt this species for aquaculture

Aquaculture

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...

, with varying degrees of success.

The resilience of this species is low. The minimum population doubling time is 4.5 - 14 years.

The starry sturgeon is an endangered species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 and trade in products made from its body parts are restricted by CITES

Environment

Demersal; anadromous; lives in depth ranging between 10 – 100 m. Prefers temperature between 10 – 20°C. It is mainly found near shore over sand and mud, stays at the bottom during the day and rises to the surface to feed at night. Feeds mainly on fish, also mollusks, crustaceans and worms.

Appearance

It has a dark grey to almost black back. The flanks are lighter, the belly is almost white.
Morphology: Dorsal soft rays (total): 40 - 46; Anal soft rays: 24 – 29. Snout long, pointed at tip. Lower lip not continuous, interrupted at center. Barbels short not reaching mouth but nearer to it than to tip of snout. Five rows of scutes, dorsal 11-14, lateral 30-36 on each side, ventral 10-11 on each side, with small bony stellate plates and smaller grains between main scute rows.

External links

• http://www.wscs.info/
• fishbase