RAE BAXTER'S ANNOTATED KEY TO THE FISHES OF ALASKA

                                                                            ACIPENSERIDAE

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1          - Lateral scutes 23 – 30

                 Acipenser medirostris  ( Atres, 1854 )                                                                                  green sturgeon

                   Range : Marine : Bering Sea – California

          TL       -     2130                D                         33 – 42                   Head L                      22 – 25 % SL
          LLp            none                A                           2 – 29                   Body D                      13 – 14 % SL           
          Scutes:                                                                                          Eye L                                5.9 % HL
             Dorsal       7 – 11                                                                       InOrb W                            26 % HL 
             Lateral 23 – 30
             Ventrolateral 7 – 10
          GR about 17

1         - Lateral scutes 38 – 56.                                                                                                                                   (2)

2 (1) - Frontal area basically flat.

              Acipenser transmontanus  ( Richardson, 1836 )                                                                        white sturgeon

                  Range :  Marine : Gulf of Alaska – Baja California
                               Freshwater :
                  Refer  :  Baxter #837
                               Hart 1973:83, fig.
                  Notes  : NODC #9729010103; NMFS #25110

                      Body gray to white.
                      Interorbital space convex-flat;   mouth behind posterior edge of orbit;   barbels 4, mouth
             barbel length 19.6% HL, snout barbel 24.2% HL, upper lip barbel 25.5% HL

          TL    -   6.1m, Wt. 816 kg                    D             44 – 48                    Head L                                 25.9% SL
          SL                   = 100% TL                   A             28 – 31                    Body D                                11.7% SL
          Scutes:                                                 Pec          45;    54% HL          PreD L                                  66.1% SL     
              Dorsal                 11-14                    Pel          31;     31% HL          PreA L                                 71.1% SL
              Lateral                 38-48                   C               28 + 70 = 98          Snout L                                 44.1% HL
              Ventrolateral          9-12                                                                   Up jaw L                               14.5% HL
              Ventral 4-8                                                                                       Orbit L                                    8.8% HL
                                                                                                                       Eye L                             6.7 – 8.7% HL
                                                                                                                       InOrb W                               29.6% HL
                                                                                                                       CaudPed D 11.4% HL

2         - Frontal area concave.

                Acipenser baeri  ( Brandt, 1869 )                                                                                        Siberian sturgeon

                   Range : Siberia, Kolyma Basin, Pechora River. Arctic Alaska?
                   Refer  : Andriayashev 1954: fig. 37-38
                   Notes : NODC #8729010101

                      Barbels about mid way between snout and mouth.
                      Gill rakers fan shaped, 3 doubled cornea at tips.

          TL                      - 900               D                   39 – 51                                 Head L
          GR                     28-39              A                    20 – 29                                Snout L                      35 – 58% HL
          Scutes:
              Dorsal             12-17
              Lateral 38-53
             Ventrolateral 9-13

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