Species, Distributions and Conservation of Acipenseriformes

IntroductionSturgeons,fish of extremely great commercialvalue,belong to one of the mostancientgroups ofthe Osteichthyes.They are widely distributed in theNorthern Hemisphere above the 3 0 th parallel,andwithin this zone they are found everywhere alongthe coasts of the Atlantic,the Pacific,theMediterranean and the Black Sea,as well as inrivers,lakes and inland seas. Their abundance inthis huge range differs greatly:in many parts ofthe range they are found only as isolated,sparsepopulations,a…

Species, Distributions and Conservation of Acipenseriformes

A list of the world wide distribution of Acipenseriformes is given including 32 species and subspecies, their distributions, and conservation levels. Most of the species and subspecies of sturgeons are threatened or endangered in at least some of their habitats. Many are nearing extinction. The threat against sturgeons will continue to grow as the world's population increases. Therefore, the problem of conserving sturgeons and replenishing their stock in the entire range has become urgent for scientists of various countries. Materials given here will be useful for solving this difficult but important problem. The problems concerning the Acipenseridae, such as the investigation of resource classification and biological conservation, are also discussed.