Adriatic Sturgeon
The Adriatic sturgeon is found in the Adriatic sea and the Po River in Italy. Under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries must list threatened and endangered marine species regardless of where they are found. Adriatic sturgeon is listed as endangered throughout its range under the ESA.
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Species Common Name
Adriatic sturgeon used to be widespread in the Adriatic Sea and may have occurred off the Iberian Peninsula. The only remaining spawning sites are at the confluences of the Po River and its tributaries in Italy, but the last known natural spawning occurred in the early 1980s. Population size is thought to have declined by at least 80 percent over the past three generations.
Weight
Up to 55 pounds
Lifespan
50 years
Length
6 feet
Threats
Habitat impediments (dams)
Habitat degradation
Habitat loss
Bycatch
Chemical contaminants
Entanglement
Sustainable Seafood
Not Sustainable Seafood
In 2012, WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals petitioned NOAA Fisheries to list 15 foreign sturgeon species under the Endangered Species Act. In 2014, we listed five species as endangered, including Adriatic sturgeon, under the act.
CITES Appendix II
- Throughout Its Range
Acipenser naccarii
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Acipenseriformes
Acipenseridae
naccarii
Acipenser
Species Status
ESA Endangered - Foreign
CITES Appendix II
ESA Endangered - Foreign
- Throughout Its Range
Species Profile Type
Protected