17. Hudson River Sturgeon
Biologists will release this sturgeon with tags that allow its
movements to be tracked.
The Hudson is home to shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon. The shortnose, which is on the endangered species list, grows to about three and a half feet in length. The Atlantic sturgeon is the Hudson's largest fish, often reaching lengths of five to eight feet. (The largest on record, caught in Canada, was fourteen feet long and weighed 800 pounds). It is anadromous; females begin returning to the river to spawn when they are fifteen years old.
In the 1800s, sturgeon were so abundant in the Hudson that they were known as "Albany beef." In response to overfishing - by the late 20th Century, the caviar and meat of an adult female sold for as much as $3,000 - capture and sale of Atlantic sturgeon were banned in 1996. The DEC's Hudson River Fisheries Unit is conducting research to learn how to better manage this fish.
