Official website of the
City of Vancouver, Washington

Learn About Sturgeon

Sturgeon are living dinosaurs. Fisheries biologists have discovered that sturgeon existed as long as 200 million years ago. 

You can view white sturgeon in the Water Center’s tank. The scientific name for white sturgeon is Acipenser transmontanus, which means “fish on the other side of the mountains.” Both white and green sturgeon are native to the Columbia River. They are anadromous, meaning they start their life in fresh water and spend part in salt water, just like salmon. But unlike Pacific salmon, sturgeon do not die after they spawn. 

Sturgeon can live to be more than 100 years old! The white sturgeon can grow 20 feet long and weigh more than 1,500 pounds! 

White sturgeon from the Columbia River have been known to go as far south as the Sacramento River in California and as far north as the Frasier River in Canada. Historically, sturgeon were found in the Columbia River all the way north to Canada and in the Snake River in Idaho. But that changed with hydroelectric dams and habitat destruction from changing land uses, which have severely lowered sturgeon populations. Some sturgeon are now limited to living in the river between the dams, and do not migrate to the ocean. 

In their natural habitat, sturgeon feed on clams, mussels, crayfish, worms, lamprey, smelt, anchovies, shad, fish eggs and other dead fish. They have no teeth, but use their mouth to crush prey and have a special spiral valve digestive system to help them absorb food and other nutrients. A variety of predators prey upon sturgeon eggs and young ones, but humans are the main predator for large, adult sturgeon.

Come to the Annual Sturgeon Festival 

Fun Facts about Sturgeon 

How old can a sturgeon get?
More than 100 years old.

How big can a sturgeon get?
As big as 20 feet long.

Are sturgeon bony?
Sturgeon bodies are a combination of bones and cartilage, but most of their body is cartilage like the tip our nose or our ears.

What are the bumps on their backs?
The bumps on sturgeon’s backs are called scutes. They are circular pieces of bone with a point in the middle. When another animal bites into it, it will get a hard bony point in its mouth.

How do sturgeon find their food?
Sturgeon do not have to see their food in order to eat, unlike salmon. Sturgeon use their barbels, the things that look like whiskers, to feel and smell their food.

How big are sturgeon eggs and how do they grow?
For such a big fish, sturgeon eggs and babies are very small. They are about the size of a small bead. Sturgeon like to lay their eggs in fast moving water, which spreads the eggs out. The eggs are heavier than water and sink to the bottom, where they stick. Sturgeon like fast moving water so, dirt and other silt can not cover the eggs and kill them. Sturgeon grow very quick when they are young.