Beluga is the best. Beluga fish. Description of a freshwater inhabitant. The biggest fish
They say that this is the king-beluga. And on the Internet, a new MEM has already broken out in the likeness of a sad cat and a stoned fox - a sad fish. Let's find out more about her...
This is the Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore.
The Astrakhan museum has two record-breaking beluga whales - one 4-meter (slightly smaller than the one that Nicholas II presented to the Kazan museum) and the largest - 6-meter. the largest beluga, six meters long. They caught her at the same time as the four-meter one, in 1989. The poachers caught the world's largest beluga, gutted the caviar, and then called the museum and said where you can pick up a "fish" the size of a huge truck.
Stuffed Beluga, Huso huso
Type: stuffed animal
Author: Golovachev V.I.
Dating: The stuffed animal was made in 1990.
Size: length - 4 m 20 cm, weight - 966 kg
Description: Beluga is a valuable commercial fish of the sturgeon family, distributed in the basins of the Caspian, Black, Azov Seas. In 1989 it was caught by fishermen. Weight 966 kg, caviar weight 120 kg, age 70-75 years, length 4 m 20 cm. The stuffed animal was made by taxidermist Golovachev V.I. in 1990
Organization: Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore
Existing for over 200 million years, sturgeons are close to extinction today. The Danube, in the region of Romania and Bulgaria, has one of the most viable wild sturgeon populations in Europe. Danube sturgeons are one of the most important indicators of a healthy ecosystem. Most of them live in the Black Sea and migrate up the Danube to spawn. They reach 6 meters in length and live up to 100 years.
Illegal fishing and barbaric extermination, mainly for caviar, is one of the main dangers threatening sturgeons. Habitat loss and disruption of sturgeon migration routes is another big threat to this unique species. Having founded the Life + program with the participation of the European Community, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), with the support of other international organizations, has been working on these problems in recent years.
Type and origin
Sturgeon breeds include: beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet. In the fossil state, sturgeon fish are known only from the Eocene (85.8-70.6 million years ago). Representatives of the shovel-nosed subfamily are very interesting from the zoogeographical point of view, which are found on the one hand in Central Asia, on the other - in North America, which makes it possible to see the remains of a previously widespread fauna in modern species of this genus. Sturgeons are one of the most unique and attractive species of ancient fish. They have existed for more than 200 million years, and have lived since the time when dinosaurs inhabited our planet. With their unusual appearance, in their robes of bone plates, they remind us of ancient times, when special armor or a strong shell was needed in order to survive. They have survived to this day, almost unchanged.
Alas, today all existing species of sturgeon are in danger or even endangered.
Sturgeons are the largest freshwater fish
Beluga book of records
Beluga is not only the largest of the sturgeons, but also the largest fish caught in fresh waters. There are cases when specimens up to 9 meters long and weighing up to 2000 kg came across. Today, individuals weighing more than 200 kg are rarely seen, transitions to spawning have become too dangerous.
In "Research on the state of fisheries in Russia", in 1861, it was reported about a beluga caught in 1827 in the lower reaches of the Volga, which weighed 1.5 tons.
On May 11, 1922, in the Caspian Sea, near the mouth of the Volga, a female weighing 1224 kilograms was caught, while 667 kilograms fell on her body, 288 kilograms on her head, and 146.5 kilograms on caviar (see photo). Once again, a female of the same size was caught in 1924 in the Caspian Sea near the Biryuchaya Spit, the caviar in it was 246 kilograms, and the total number of eggs was about 7.7 million.
A little to the east, before the mouth of the Urals, on May 3, 1926, a 75-year-old female weighing more than 1 ton and 4.24 meters long was caught, in which there were 190 kilograms of caviar. The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan in Kazan presents a stuffed beluga 4.17 meters long, mined in the lower reaches of the Volga at the beginning of the 20th century. Its weight when caught was about 1000 kilograms, the age of the fish is 60-70 years.
In October 1891, when the wind stole water from the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov, a peasant passing by the bare shore found a beluga in one of the puddles, pulling 20 pounds (327 kg), of which 3 pounds (49 kg) fell on caviar.
Lifestyle
All sturgeons migrate long distances for spawning and in search of food. Some migrate between salt and fresh water, while others live only in fresh water all their lives. They breed in fresh waters and have a long life cycle as they take years, sometimes decades, to reach maturity when they are first able to produce offspring. While the annual successful spawning is almost unpredictable, and depends on the available range, suitable current and temperature, specific spawning sites, periodicity and migration are predictable. Natural crossing is possible between any species of sturgeon. In addition to the spring move to the rivers for spawning, sturgeon fish sometimes enter the rivers also in autumn - for wintering. These fish tend to stay near the bottom.
According to the method of feeding, the beluga is a predator, feeding mainly on fish, but also on mollusks, worms, and insects. Begins to prey even as a fry in the river. In the sea, it feeds mainly on fish (herring, sprats, gobies, etc.), but does not neglect mollusks. In the stomachs of the Caspian beluga, even pups (babies) of a seal were found.
Beluga takes care of her offspring
Beluga is a long-lived fish reaching the age of 100 years. Unlike Pacific salmon, which die after spawning, beluga, like other sturgeons, can spawn many times in a lifetime. After spawning, they migrate back to the sea. Caspian beluga males reach puberty at the age of 13-18 years, and females - at 16-27 (mainly at 22-27) years. The fertility of the beluga, depending on the size of the female, ranges from 500 thousand to a million (in exceptional cases - up to 5 million) eggs.
In nature, the beluga is an independent species, but it can hybridize with sterlet, stellate sturgeon, spike and sturgeon. With the help of artificial insemination, viable hybrids were obtained - beluga-sterlet (bester). Sturgeon hybrids are successfully grown in pond (aquaculture) farms.
There are many myths and legends associated with the beluga. For example, in ancient times, fishermen talked about the miraculous biluzhin stone, which is able to heal a person from any disease, protect from troubles, save the ship from a storm and attract a good catch.
The fishermen believed that this stone can be found in the kidneys of a large beluga, and it is the size of a chicken egg - flat and oval in shape. The owner of such a stone could exchange it for a very expensive product, but it is still not clear whether such stones really existed, or the craftsmen forged them. Even today, some anglers continue to believe this.
Another legend that at one time surrounded the beluga with an ominous halo is the poison of the beluga. Some considered the liver of young fish or the meat of the beluga to be poisonous, which could go astray, like a cat or a dog, as a result of which its meat became poisonous. Evidence for this has not yet been found.
The now almost extinct beluga. Not a particularly large specimen for this species.
Sturgeon habitats in the past and present
Their distribution is limited to the northern hemisphere, where they inhabit rivers and seas in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Although there are more than 20 different sturgeon species around the world with different biological and ecological requirements, they all have similar characteristics.
Anadromous fish living in the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas enters the rivers for spawning. Previously, the beluga was relatively numerous, but over time, its stocks became very scarce.
The Danube and the Black Sea at one time were the most active region for the distribution of a wide variety of beluga - up to 6 different species. Currently, one of the species is completely lost, and the remaining five are endangered.
In the Caspian Sea, the beluga is ubiquitous. For spawning, it enters mainly the Volga, in much smaller quantities - the Urals and Kura, as well as the Terek. The Amur sturgeon lives in the Far East. Almost all water bodies in Russia are suitable for sturgeon species. In the old days, sturgeons were caught even in the Neva.
Overfishing and the black market for caviar
Overfishing - once legal but now illegal - is one of the direct threats to the survival of the Danube sturgeons. Because of their long life cycles and late maturity, sturgeons are particularly vulnerable to overfishing, and their tribe takes many years to recover.
In 2006, Romania was the first country to announce a ban on sturgeon fishing. The ten-year ban will expire at the end of 2015. Following the appeal of the EU, Bulgaria also announced a ban on sturgeon fishing. Despite the ban, poaching seems to be still widespread throughout the Danube region, although concrete evidence of illegal fishing is difficult to obtain. It is well known that the black market for caviar is thriving. One reason for overfishing is the high price of caviar. Illegally harvested caviar in Bulgaria and Romania can also be bought in other EU countries. Thanks to the first study of the caviar black market, conducted in Bulgaria and Romania in 2011-2012, experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature were able to trace the distribution of smuggled goods in Europe.
Danube beluga, the same age as dinosaurs
Iron Gate Dam disrupted migration routes
Migration for spawning is one of the most important parts of the natural life cycle of all sturgeons in the Danube. In the past, the beluga rose up the river to Serbia, and in the distant past it even reached Passau in eastern Bavaria, but now its path is artificially blocked already on the middle Danube.
Located below the Iron Gates, in the narrow Jardap Gorge between Romania and Serbia, the Iron Gates hydroelectric power plant and reservoir are the largest along the Danube. The hydroelectric power plant was built at 942 and 863 kilometers of the river upstream of the Danube Delta. As a result, by limiting the sturgeon migration path at 863 kilometers, and completely cutting off the most important spawning area on the middle Danube. As a result, the sturgeons found themselves locked in the section of the river in front of the dam, and now they are no longer able to continue their natural path, familiar to them for thousands of years, to the spawning site. Trapped in such unnatural conditions, the sturgeon population suffers the negative effects of inbreeding and loses genetic variability.
Beluga range on the Danube lost
Sturgeons are very sensitive to changes in their range. These changes immediately affect spawning, wintering, the possibility of finding good food and, ultimately, lead to the extinction of the genus. Most sturgeon species spawn on the clear pebbly edge of the lower Danube, where they lay their eggs before returning to the Black Sea. Successful spawning must be carried out at great depths at a temperature of at least 9-15 degrees.
The sturgeon population has suffered greatly as a result of the loss of the original and corresponding to this species habitat on the Danube. The strengthening of the banks and the division of the river into channels, the construction of powerful engineering structures that protect against floods, reduced by 80% the natural floodplains and wetlands that were part of the river system. Navigation is also one of the major threats to the sturgeon range, mainly as a result of activities that include dredging and dredging on the river. Extraction of sand and gravel, soil changes produced by the underwater part of the vessel also have a detrimental effect on the sturgeon population in the Danube.
The threat of extinction of the Danube sturgeon is so great that if urgent and radical measures are not taken, then in a few decades this majestic silvery fish can only be seen in museums. That is why the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube, together with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Commission, within the framework of the European Community Strategy for the Danube Region, are conducting a number of projects and international studies in order to develop measures to save the Danube beluga.
Beluga is a freshwater fish that has survived to this day from ancient times. Its ancestors existed on earth as early as the Jurassic period, which was 200 million years ago.
This is the largest of all freshwater fish that have ever existed on our planet. Her body can reach a length of about five meters, and she can weigh about two tons.
This giant fish has only one relative - it is kaluga, which lives in the Far Eastern rivers.
The body of a beluga is shaped like a torpedo, it narrows towards the tail, and five rows of bone plates pass along its sides, which are also called shields, the task of which is to protect the fish from external influences. The upper part of this fish is colored greenish or dark gray, and its belly is usually white.
The muzzle of the beluga has a peculiar shape: its lower part is elongated and slightly turned up. It is on this part of it that the antennae are located, which have the functions of the organs of smell. Behind them is a mouth shaped like a sickle. Different-sex representatives of this species do not differ from each other in color. But in size, females are superior to males.
The main habitat of the beluga is the Caspian Sea, although it can also be found in other seas - for example, the Azov, Black or Adriatic. But with the approach of the spawning period, the beluga leaves the salty waters and goes upstream the freshwater rivers, and rises quite high along them. Belugas lead a solitary lifestyle, making exceptions only for the spawning period, in order to mate.
Beluga is the largest among the family. Spawning takes place in the spring, and not every year. As a rule, this fish needs a break of 2 to 4 years. After the female rises up the river, she lays a huge number of eggs - from three hundred thousand to seven and a half million. After that, he considers his mission accomplished and returns back to the sea. Young beluga hatch into the light somewhere in May-June and immediately fully show their predatory character. The main food for them at this time are small invertebrates. So, refreshing along the way, the Belugas gradually move towards the sea. In a month they grow up to 7-10 cm, and in a year - up to 1 meter.
Beluga is a relative of the sturgeon. Under favorable circumstances, a female can spawn about nine times in her life. But the fact that this fish and its caviar are of great commercial value does not allow it to live, in most cases, even half of the time measured by nature. They catch it both legally and illegally.
On the territory of the Russian Federation there are many reservoirs that are home to the most amazing creatures. Among them is the beluga fish, which is the largest predatory fish with a unique appearance, behavior and characteristics. Previously, the animal was considered very common, but the development of civilization and the prosperity of poaching significantly harmed the population.
The main advantage of the representatives of the species is the affordable cost.. And although the fish meat is rather tough, it is no worse in taste than other varieties of the sturgeon family. At the same time, the price per kilogram is only 15 US dollars, which is very cheap.
However, during spawning, the creature produces the most valuable product - beluga caviar, which is considered one of the most elite and expensive, which contributes to the prosperity of illegal fishing. For example, albino beluga caviar is sold in strictly limited quantities at a price of 18,500 euros per kilogram. During the year, only 8-10 kilograms of a rare product enter the European market.
Under natural conditions, the number is so small that the existence of the beluga depends only on the functioning of fish farms and private reservoirs.
As for the sturgeon family itself, it includes the most ancient fish species with a long history. They are distinguished by their characteristic appearance, as well as the presence of five rows of bone shields that are located along the elongated body.
From other representatives of the sturgeon family, the beluga received an elongated head, while in the lower part there are 4 antennae that reach the mouth opening. In addition, some properties of more primitive cartilaginous creatures are noticed in its structure, but the beluga has an elastic cartilaginous chord at the base of the skeleton, which allows it to fully function and develop even in the absence of vertebrae.
The list of the most common types of sturgeon includes the following:
- Stellate sturgeon.
- Kuluga.
- Beluga.
- Sterlet.
These fish are impressive in size, but the true champion is the beluga. The body length of the fish reaches 4 meters, and the weight sometimes exceeds 1000 kilograms. And although the main population is concentrated within the Black and Caspian Seas, during the spawning period, the species massively moves to freshwater rivers, literally filling them.
As mentioned above, the beluga is the largest freshwater fish that can weigh from 50 to 1000 kilograms, depending on living conditions. As for individuals that are caught on an industrial scale, they reach 50-80 kilograms of weight. The life expectancy of some beluga is about 100 years.
A feature of the predator is the ability to hunt from the very first days of its existence. Those creatures that spend a significant part of their time in the seas are the most inveterate predators, because they eat mainly fish. Under natural habitat conditions, the beluga forms hybrid varieties, crossing with the following species of sturgeon:
- With sterlet - as a result, a fish called "bester" is formed, which is the most popular beluga hybrid. It is grown for industrial purposes, which is associated with the high palatability of the meat obtained during processing. Also, the product has a high nutritional value, which increases the demand for cultivation.
- stellate sturgeon.
- Spike fish.
- Sturgeon.
Similar hybrids inhabit the Azov Sea basin and some reservoirs.
If you want to know what a beluga looks like, pay attention to the following external characteristics of the species:
- The fish has a long body, which resembles a large gray spindle with light shades in the abdominal part.
- The caudal fin is unevenly lobed and has an upper lobe twice as large as the lower one.
The beluga is also distinguished by a pointed but short snout, under which there is a huge crescent-shaped mouth and two pairs of mustaches with pronounced leaf-like appendages along the entire length of each antennae.
In addition to its impressive size, the beluga is also distinguished by a thick cylindrical body. The pointed nose is slightly translucent due to the absence of bony shields. The bony scutes on the head and flanks are underdeveloped, while their number on the back is 13 units, on the sides - 40-45, and on the peritoneum - about 12.
This representative of the sturgeon family belongs to the group of anadromous creatures, so it can live freely in both fresh and salt water. To understand where the beluga is found in Russia, it is necessary to pay attention to such seas with different salinity indicators.
- Caspian and Azov (salinity here is low, and ranges from 12 to 13 ppm).
- Black Sea (salinity indicators vary in the range of 17-18 ppm).
- Mediterranean Sea (salinity is high, as in the ocean - it is about 35 ppm).
For laying caviar, beluga massively move to rivers:
As mentioned above, the beluga is a long-lived fish. that can live up to 100 years. And if the Pacific salmon spawns only once in a lifetime, after which it dies, then the beluga is capable of producing offspring an unlimited number of times. After a successful spawning, adults return to the sea, continuing to feed fat until a new spawning. Because of this lifestyle, they are called walkers.
As for caviar, it has a dark gray color with a characteristic silvery tint, as well as a rather large size (diameter is up to 2.5 millimeters). Caviar is deposited on the bottom, where it settles on all kinds of substrate. Newborn fry are also quite large, because they can have a length of 15 to 24 mm. After birth, they immediately go to sea, but sometimes it takes several years.
Puberty ends in males at the age of 13-18 years, while females begin spawning at 16 years old, and some at 27. Representatives of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are distinguished by early maturation, males living there go to spawn as early as 12 years old.
The fertility of the beluga depends on the living conditions and food supply. As a rule, females of different sizes can produce about 500,000-1,000,000 eggs. In rare cases, this number rises to 5 million. At the same time, the inhabitants of different rivers demonstrate different indicators of fertility. For example, individuals that live in the Volga and have a length of about 2.5 meters bring about 900 thousand eggs. The inhabitants of the Kura River with the same size hardly spawn 700 thousand eggs..
If we compare beluga meat with the meat of other fish, then it has a coarser structure, but an incredible taste and nutritional value, due to which it is appreciated all over the world. On the basis of the beluga product, delicious balyk products are created, as well as many cold and hot snacks.
Beluga also gives mankind delicious caviar, so fish are massively caught on an industrial scale, starting with individuals weighing 5 kilograms or more. Of course, in most cases, the weight significantly exceeds this indicator, because the animal quickly gains weight and grows to an impressive size. And although the beluga is considered the longest-lived fish in freshwater reservoirs, the maximum age of individuals that are grown on an industrial scale , rarely exceeds 30-40 years.
Beluga is a common red fish, which arranges wintering camps in river pits, where it goes at the end of autumn and waits for the spring season for spawning. Juveniles prefer estuaries or shallow sea areas.
The middle depths are suitable as a winter hut for older individuals that have already spawned and returned to the sea before the first frost. The largest individuals aged 30-50 years are found only in the deepest and most remote places. Due to their physiological properties, many of them are no longer able to reproduce.
As soon as the first significant cold comes, the body of the fish is covered with a thick mucous layer, after which it falls into a state of stupor, being in it until the first heat. Before falling into hibernation, the beluga gains fat and stores the necessary energy for several months. If an individual is caught at this time, then in its stomach it will be possible to find mollusks, small crustaceans that have not been completely digested, and even a waterfowl that winters on rivers.
By the way, you should pay attention to one curious fact: if the beluga fails to find a suitable place for spawning, it may not start spawning. Such fastidiousness is especially noticeable in adults, who have repeatedly reproduced offspring.
Feed preferences and interesting facts
The main share of the Beluga diet is occupied by shellfish., crustaceans and small representatives of other fish species. In the absence of such food, a predator easily attacks birds that swim freely or hunt in the water, as well as small freshwater creatures.
In the settlements of the Caspian coast, the beluga is the main attribute of the fishing industry. And although the cost of fish meat is much lower than the cost of sturgeon (a kilogram of meat costs only 10-15 dollars), unique and valuable caviar is much more expensive than caviar of other red fish.
For example: “diamond” caviar is the most expensive product produced by extremely rare albino sturgeons. For a kilogram of such a delicacy, you will have to pay about 18,500 euros. The phenomenal value is due to the rich golden color, as well as the rarity of the caviar itself, which can be mined about once every 100 years. According to statistics, no more than 8-10 kilograms of "diamond" caviar appear on the European market per year.
For industrial purposes, it is customary to catch individuals weighing from 5 kilograms, but the largest beluga in the world weighed about 1500 kg and had a 7-meter body.
Going to spawn, the fish is looking for promising places that meet its requirements. If they are absent, spawning may not start at all.
Starting to spawn, the fish breaks the bottom and spawns, surrounded by a large number of snags, reeds or water barriers. At the same time, during the spawning period, it produces about 1,000,000 eggs, which are of high value to true gourmets from all over the world.
If we divide the beluga into two main groups, then it will be:
- Winter.
- Yarovaya.
Representatives of the species lead an exclusively near-bottom-pelagic way of life.. In the sea, they are found alone, and only periodically form groups that go to spawn in rivers. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 12-15 years, and females - at 16-18 years. Given the fact that the fish is considered a long-liver, it can easily exist for more than 50-60 years, although such individuals are becoming less and less common.
Beluga, which is bred on fishing farms, reproduces only by artificial insemination. Thus, many hybrid varieties with unique external and physiological features have appeared.
They say that this is the king-beluga. And on the Internet, a new MEM has already broken out in the likeness of a sad cat and a stoned fox - a sad fish. Let's find out more about her...
This is Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore.
The Astrakhan museum has two record beluga whales - one 4-meter (slightly smaller than the one that Nicholas II presented to the Kazan museum) and the largest - 6-meter. the largest beluga, six meters long. They caught her at the same time as the four-meter one, in 1989. The poachers caught the world's largest beluga, gutted the caviar, and then called the museum and said where you can pick up a "fish" the size of a huge truck.
Stuffed Beluga, Huso huso
Type: stuffed animal
Author: Golovachev V.I.
Dating: The stuffed animal was made in 1990.
Size: length - 4 m 20 cm, weight - 966 kg
Description: Beluga is a valuable commercial fish of the sturgeon family, common in the basins of the Caspian, Black, Azov Seas. In 1989 it was caught by fishermen. Weight 966 kg, caviar weight 120 kg, age 70-75 years, length 4 m 20 cm. The stuffed animal was made by taxidermist Golovachev V.I. in 1990
Organization: Astrakhan Museum of Local Lore
Existing for over 200 million years, sturgeons are close to extinction today. The Danube, in the region of Romania and Bulgaria, has one of the most viable wild sturgeon populations in Europe. Danube sturgeons are one of the most important indicators of a healthy ecosystem. Most of them live in the Black Sea and migrate up the Danube to spawn. They reach 6 meters in length and live up to 100 years.
Illegal fishing and barbaric extermination, mainly for caviar, is one of the main dangers threatening sturgeons. Habitat loss and disruption of sturgeon migration routes is another big threat to this unique species. Having founded the Life + program with the participation of the European Community, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), with the support of other international organizations, has been working on these problems in recent years.
Type and origin
Sturgeon breeds include: beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet. In the fossil state, sturgeon fish are known only from the Eocene (85.8-70.6 million years ago). Representatives of the spade-nosed subfamily, which are found on the one hand in Central Asia, on the other, in North America, are very interesting from a zoogeographical point of view, which makes it possible to see the remains of a previously widespread fauna in modern species of this genus. Sturgeons are one of the most unique and attractive species of ancient fish. They have existed for more than 200 million years, and have lived since the time when dinosaurs inhabited our planet. With their unusual appearance, in their robes of bone plates, they remind us of ancient times, when special armor or a strong shell was needed in order to survive. They have survived to this day, almost unchanged.
Alas, today all existing species of sturgeon are in danger or even endangered.
Sturgeons are the largest freshwater fish
Beluga book of records
Beluga is not only the largest of the sturgeons, but also the largest fish caught in fresh waters. There are cases when specimens up to 9 meters long and weighing up to 2000 kg came across. Today, individuals weighing more than 200 kg are rarely seen, transitions to spawning have become too dangerous.
In "Research on the state of fisheries in Russia", in 1861, it was reported about a beluga caught in 1827 in the lower reaches of the Volga, which weighed 1.5 tons.
On May 11, 1922, in the Caspian Sea, near the mouth of the Volga, a female weighing 1224 kilograms was caught, while 667 kilograms fell on her body, 288 kilograms on her head, and 146.5 kilograms on her caviar (see photo). Once again, a female of the same size was caught in 1924 in the Caspian Sea near the Biryuchaya Spit, the caviar in it was 246 kilograms, and the total number of eggs was about 7.7 million.
A little to the east, before the mouth of the Urals, on May 3, 1926, a 75-year-old female weighing more than 1 ton and 4.24 meters long was caught, in which there were 190 kilograms of caviar. The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan in Kazan presents a stuffed beluga 4.17 meters long, mined in the lower reaches of the Volga at the beginning of the 20th century. Its weight when caught was about 1000 kilograms, the age of the fish is 60-70 years.
In October 1891, when the wind stole water from the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov, a peasant passing by the bare shore found a beluga in one of the puddles, pulling 20 pounds (327 kg), of which 3 pounds (49 kg) fell on caviar.
Lifestyle
All sturgeons migrate long distances for spawning and in search of food. Some migrate between salt and fresh water, while others live only in fresh water all their lives. They breed in fresh waters and have a long life cycle as they take years, sometimes decades, to reach maturity when they are first able to produce offspring. While the annual successful spawning is almost unpredictable, and depends on the available habitat, suitable current and temperature, specific spawning sites, periodicity and migration are predictable. Natural crossing is possible between any species of sturgeon. In addition to the spring move into the rivers for spawning, sturgeons sometimes enter the rivers also in the fall - for wintering. These fish tend to stay near the bottom.
According to the method of feeding, the beluga is a predator, feeding mainly on fish, but also on mollusks, worms, and insects. Begins to prey even as a fry in the river. In the sea, it feeds mainly on fish (herring, sprats, gobies, etc.), but does not neglect mollusks. In the stomachs of the Caspian beluga, even pups (babies) of a seal were found.
Beluga takes care of her offspring
Beluga is a long-lived fish reaching the age of 100 years. Unlike Pacific salmon, which die after spawning, beluga, like other sturgeons, can spawn many times in a lifetime. After spawning, they migrate back to the sea. Caspian beluga males reach puberty at 13-18 years old, and females - at 16-27 (mainly at 22-27) years. The fertility of the beluga, depending on the size of the female, ranges from 500 thousand to a million (in exceptional cases - up to 5 million) eggs.
In nature, the beluga is an independent species, but it can hybridize with sterlet, stellate sturgeon, spike and sturgeon. With the help of artificial insemination, viable hybrids were obtained - beluga-sterlet (Bester). Sturgeon hybrids are successfully grown in pond (aquaculture) farms.
There are many myths and legends associated with the beluga. For example, in ancient times, fishermen talked about the miraculous biluzhin stone, which is able to heal a person from any disease, protect from troubles, save the ship from a storm and attract a good catch.
Fishermen believed that this stone can be found in the kidneys of a large beluga, and it is the size of a chicken egg - flat and oval in shape. The owner of such a stone could exchange it for a very expensive product, but it is still not clear whether such stones really existed, or the craftsmen forged them. Even today, some anglers continue to believe this.
Another legend that at one time surrounded the beluga with an ominous halo is the poison of the beluga. Some considered the liver of young fish or the meat of the beluga to be poisonous, which could go astray, like a cat or a dog, as a result of which its meat became poisonous. Evidence for this has not yet been found.
The now almost extinct beluga. Not a particularly large specimen for this species. Photo from here
Sturgeon habitats in the past and present
Their distribution is limited to the northern hemisphere, where they inhabit rivers and seas in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Although there are more than 20 different sturgeon species around the world with different biological and ecological requirements, they all have similar characteristics.
Anadromous fish living in the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas enters the rivers for spawning. Previously, the beluga was relatively numerous, but over time, its stocks became very scarce.
The Danube and the Black Sea at one time were the most active region for the distribution of a wide variety of beluga - up to 6 different species. Currently, one of the species is completely lost, and the remaining five are endangered.
In the Caspian Sea, the beluga is ubiquitous. For spawning, it enters mainly the Volga, in much smaller quantities - the Urals and Kura, as well as the Terek. The Amur sturgeon lives in the Far East. Almost all water bodies in Russia are suitable for sturgeon species. In the old days, sturgeons were caught even in the Neva.
Overfishing and the black market for caviar
Overfishing - once legal but now illegal - is one of the direct threats to the survival of the Danube sturgeons. Because of their long life cycles and late maturity, sturgeons are particularly vulnerable to overfishing, and their tribe takes many years to recover.
In 2006, Romania was the first country to announce a ban on sturgeon fishing. The ten-year ban will expire at the end of 2015. Following the appeal of the EU, Bulgaria also announced a ban on sturgeon fishing. Despite the ban, poaching seems to be still widespread throughout the Danube region, although concrete evidence of illegal fishing is difficult to obtain. It is well known that the black market for caviar is thriving. One reason for overfishing is the high price of caviar. Illegally harvested caviar in Bulgaria and Romania can also be bought in other EU countries. Thanks to the first study of the caviar black market, conducted in Bulgaria and Romania in 2011-2012, experts from the World Wide Fund for Nature were able to trace the distribution of smuggled goods in Europe.
Danube beluga, the same age as dinosaurs
Iron Gate Dam disrupted migration routes
Migration for spawning is one of the most important parts of the natural life cycle of all sturgeons in the Danube. In the past, the beluga rose up the river to Serbia, and in the distant past it even reached Passau in eastern Bavaria, but now its path is artificially blocked already on the middle Danube.
Located below the Iron Gates, in the narrow Jardap Gorge between Romania and Serbia, the Iron Gates hydroelectric power plant and reservoir are the largest along the Danube. The hydroelectric power plant was built at 942 and 863 kilometers of the river upstream of the Danube Delta. As a result, by limiting the sturgeon migration path at 863 kilometers, and completely cutting off the most important spawning area on the middle Danube. As a result, the sturgeons found themselves locked in the section of the river in front of the dam, and now they are no longer able to continue their natural path, familiar to them for thousands of years, to the spawning site. Trapped in such unnatural conditions, the sturgeon population suffers the negative effects of inbreeding and loses genetic variability.
Beluga range on the Danube lost
Sturgeons are very sensitive to changes in their range. These changes immediately affect spawning, wintering, the possibility of finding good food and, ultimately, lead to the extinction of the genus. Most sturgeon species spawn on the clear pebbly edge of the lower Danube, where they lay their eggs before returning to the Black Sea. Successful spawning must be carried out at great depths at a temperature of at least 9-15 degrees.
The sturgeon population has suffered greatly as a result of the loss of the original and corresponding to this species habitat on the Danube. The strengthening of the banks and the division of the river into channels, the construction of powerful engineering structures that protect against floods, reduced by 80% the natural floodplains and wetlands that were part of the river system. Navigation is also one of the major threats to the sturgeon range, mainly as a result of activities that include dredging and dredging on the river. Extraction of sand and gravel, soil changes produced by the underwater part of the vessel also have a detrimental effect on the sturgeon population in the Danube.
The threat of extinction of the Danube sturgeon is so great that if urgent and radical measures are not taken, then in a few decades this majestic silvery fish can only be seen in museums. That is why the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube, together with the World Wide Fund for Nature and the European Commission, within the framework of the European Community Strategy for the Danube Region, are conducting a number of projects and international studies in order to develop measures to save the Danube beluga. sources
Let me remind you a few more big fish: or for example The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -
from the current ones. It is mentioned in many historical documents. In Russia, this fish, brought to the capital city from the distant Caspian Sea, was served at the table of princes and kings. There are many descriptions of fantastic specimens that reach simply incredible sizes. It is not surprising that many have the question of which of these testimonies is true and which is absolute fiction.
The largest beluga, the existence of which is confirmed by sufficient evidence, is striking in size. There are many contenders for this title, but, unfortunately, all the facts of the existence of giant beluga were recorded long ago. Nowadays, large specimens are almost never found.
king fish
Beluga is a long-lived fish. She can live a hundred years. During this time, the largest beluga can grow to a gigantic size of several meters. This species is considered one of the largest marine fish on the planet.
This fish spawns several times in its life. Experts say that the beluga eggs are also gigantic - weighing up to half a ton.
For spawning, females go to the rivers flowing into the sea, sometimes rising upstream for several kilometers. It is noteworthy that if there is no place suitable for babies, then it will not, and the caviar inside will gradually resolve.
Where does the beluga live?
The largest beluga is found in the Caspian, Black, Adriatic, Mediterranean and Azov seas.
During spawning, this fish can be found in the Volga, Terek, Don, Kama, Dnieper and many other rivers that flow into the sea. Large females, which did not have time to spawn, sometimes even remain in the rivers for the winter, falling into hibernation.
How to catch the biggest beluga?
Today, commercial fishing of this fish is prohibited. No less strict veto was imposed on the collection of beluga caviar. But the law does not prohibit sport fishing. For it, special gear is used that minimally injures the fish.
Fishing is one way to establish and document the facts. The largest beluga in the world, caught by an enthusiast in a competition, will definitely be measured, weighed, photographed, and then released back home. If this did not happen regularly, we would know much less about the life of these amazing fish.
To catch a thunderstorm of the seas and rivers, you need to swim from the sea into the river for 3 kilometers. Beluga is a voracious predator, fishermen have even found ducks and seals in her stomach more than once. When choosing a bait, you should give preference to raw meat and fish. Professionals know: the beluga, although not aggressive, like, for example, a catfish, is quite capable of seriously misbehaving. In an attempt to get away from the fisherman, she can even capsize the boat.
The largest representatives: confirmed facts
The largest beluga, caught in Russia in 1922, still holds the palm. She weighed 1224 kg and was caught in the Caspian Sea. was filled with caviar. The photo of the largest beluga is simply amazing. The king fish is comparable in size to oceanic monsters: sharks, killer whales, narwhals.
Several other facts of giant beluga catches have been confirmed. In Kazan, there is even in life weighing a whole ton. The carcass, 4.17 m long, was donated to the city by Nicholas II himself, and today a stuffed animal made from it is exhibited in the museum. Anyone can admire the huge fish.
The exhibit is a little more modest than the Kazan one in one of the museums of Astrakhan - the beluga caught in the Volga reached 966 kg. Another curious specimen during its lifetime had a length of almost 6 meters and a weight of up to a ton. His story is amazing. This beluga was caught by poachers, gutted the most valuable caviar, and the carcass was thrown away. But of course, they simply could not help but know what kind of treasure fell into their hands! Fearing arrest for illegal activities, the poachers simply called the museum and told them where they had dumped the carcass. It was damaged by careless cutting, but the taxidermists managed to make a stuffed animal out of it.
The language barrier
Sometimes confusion arises for very unusual reasons. For example, for a very long time the word "beluga" in Russian was also applied to the whale, today known as the beluga whale. Whales, of course, are larger than sturgeon fish, but this did not prevent the emergence of fantastic rumors. Eyewitness accounts of the capture of two-ton beluga most likely refer specifically to marine animals. By the way, white whales can sing. It was their singing that formed the basis of the phraseological unit “Roar like a beluga”. roar, of course, do not know how.
And in English, many sturgeon fish, including beluga, are often denoted by one word - sturgeon. This also often confuses the question of the largest beluga. Some of the claimed contenders for the championship belong to other species of the Sturgeon family.
Human factor
The largest beluga caught in our time reaches only 2-3 centners. Uncontrolled fishing and caviar collection, environmental degradation, irrational use of resources - all this had a negative impact on the population. The number of beluga has decreased, the fish has become smaller, and spawning has become less frequent. The habitat has also shrunk. For spawning, the beluga goes very close to the rivers, trying to stay closer to the sea.
prospects
The largest beluga is a rarity today. Fortunately, humanity is trying to correct the mistakes of the past. Beluga is listed in the Red Book, the state is fighting against poaching. Today, the beluga is artificially bred in many countries. In Russia, several hybrids have been bred that have shown excellent viability and industrial value. This allows you to save the number of beluga in the wild. Positive dynamics gives hope that the beautiful king fish will not sink into oblivion in the coming years, but someday will again amaze people with their huge size.