Kaluga (Huso dauricus) fish species and information / pictures of Kaluga - Huso dauricus

Kaluga (Huso dauricus) fish species information

Scientific Name
Huso dauricus

Common Name
Kaluga

Biology
Adults inhabit rivers and lakes. Adults do not spawn every year but at least every other year. With increasing age, the spawning interval increases to three, four and more years (Ref. 593). Feed on invertebrates in the first year then switch to juveniles of pelagic fishes, e.g., Oncorhynchus keta, at age 3 to 4 yrs., kaluga feed on adult fishes (Ref. 40142).

Classification

Classified By

Georgi, 1775

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Sturgeons and Paddlefishes (Acipenseriformes)

Family

Sturgeons (Acipenseridae)

Distribution

Region

Asia

Distribution

Asia: Amur basin, ascending far up to the Argun, Shilka, and Onon. In the Amur Liman to the Amur estuary in the Sea of Okhotsk. Adults inhabit some lakes, like Orel Lake above Nikolaevsk. Also in the Ussuri and Sungari, China. International trade restricted (CITES II, since 1.4.98; CMS Appendix II).Four populations are recognized in the Amur River basin: one lives in the estuary and coastal brackish waters of the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan, second is found in the lower Amur, third in the middle Amur, and fourth in the lower reaches of the Zeya and Bureya rivers in the Russian river banks (Ref. 40142). Two ecological morphs are present in the estuary population, the 'freshwater' and the 'brackish' water forms (Ref. 40142).

Range

55°N - 43°N

Environment

Climate

Temperate

Water Temperature From

10 °C

Water Temperature To

20 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

50 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 50 m (Ref. 50550)

Trophic Level

4.49 s.e. 0.80 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

560 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.7500 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

Very high vulnerability (88 of 100)

Resilience

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=14-23; tmax=55; Fec=600,000)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2bd)