White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

Halibut Flats

At the Aquarium

Halibut Flats

Appearance

White sturgeon have greyish backs with a solid white belly. They have large bony plates called scutes that run down their backs. Similar to a shark, white sturgeon have rough, scale-less skin. They also have a cartilaginous skeleton and a sharklike, deeply forked tail.

They have a long flat snout with four barbels and taste buds on the outside of their mouth. The taste buds and barbels help white sturgeon select food, then their toothless mouth sucks it up.

White sturgeon can grow to lengths greater than 20 feet and weigh up to 1,389 pounds. However, most white sturgeon rarely grow over 10 feet long.

Habitat

Nearshore marine waters, estuaries, and large rivers.

Diet

Young white sturgeon feed on small crustaceans and aquatic insects. As they grow, their diet broadens to include a variety of bottom dwelling invertebrates and fish.

Life History

White sturgeon are generally anadromous, meaning they can live in both fresh and saltwater. Some subpopulations of white sturgeon are landlocked and spend their entire life cycle in freshwater.

Reproduction only occurs in large river systems such as the Columbia and Sacramento rivers. Spawning season varies by latitude and occurs between February and August. In the lower Columbia River, spawning occurs from April through July. In the Sacramento River, females spawn every 2 to 4 years after reaching 12 to 16 years old. Males spawn every 1 to 2 years after reaching 10 to 12 years.

White sturgeon move upstream to broadcast-spawn adhesive eggs that stick to the substrate. Juvenile sturgeon remain in the river for a period of time before migrating to the estuary or bay, but some subpopulations of white sturgeon spend their entire life in freshwater.

The maximum age of white sturgeon is unknown, but they may live to be greater than 100 years old!

IUCN Status

Vulnerable

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

In the lower Columbia River below the Bonneville Dam, there is a fishery for White Sturgeon. Sturgeon are carefully managed and harvests are closely monitored in the Columbia River.

White sturgeon hold cultural significance for Indigenous peoples throughout its range. For instance, white sturgeon found in the Fraser River in British Columbia have been a vital food source and were used for medicinal purposes. Sturgeon are also associated with origin stories and depicted in traditional teachings.

White sturgeon eggs and juveniles less than 1 year old are prey for sculpins, walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and chinook salmon. Older juveniles and adult white sturgeon have been observed to be prey for sea lions and some shark species.

From the Gulf of Alaska to Ensenada, Mexico. Subpopulations occur in several river systems within Canada, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California, and Alaska.

The largest white sturgeon populations in Oregon are in the Columbia and Willamette rivers, but they can also be found in bays and estuaries along the coast.

The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish species in North America.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium has both green sturgeon and white sturgeon in our Halibut flats halibut. You can tell the white sturgeon apart by their general larger size and solid white belly.

Citations & Other Resources

Crossman, J. and L. Hildebrand. 2022. Acipenser transmontanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2024. White Sturgeon Enhanced Status Report. Marine Species Portal. https://marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/white-sturgeon/true/
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. N.d. White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/acipenser-transmontanus#conservation
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. N.d. White sturgeon. https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/white-sturgeon
Monterey Bay Aquarium. N.d. White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/white-sturgeon
Government of British Columbia. 2024. B.C. Fraser River White Sturgeon Plan. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/fish/fish-management/fraser-sturgeon-plan

White Sturgeon

White Sturgeon

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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