Adriatic sturgeon

Acipenser naccarii

Ancient guardian of the Adriatic

Temperate
Regional distribution
Europe
Elongated
Large
Temperate fish

The Adriatic sturgeon (*Acipenser naccarii*) is a rare and ancient species native to the Adriatic Sea and its surrounding river basins. With an evolutionary history spanning more than 200 million years, it is often described as a “living fossil.”

Class: Cartilaginous Ganoids
Order: Sturgeons and Paddlefishes
Family: Acipenseridae
Genus: Acipenser
Maximum length: 200 cm
Body shape: elongated
Distribution: Europe: Adriatic Sea and its tributaries between Po (Italy) and Buna (Albania) drainages. Recorded from Corfu; present in lowermost part of Adriatic rivers from Soca to Drin. Records from Tyrrhenian slope of Italy, Spain and France are erroneous.
Conservation status: CRCritically Endangered

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