ML060940188

NYSDEC Undated, Website Reference Used in Chapter 2 NMP FSEIS

ML060940188
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	01/27/2006
From:	State of NY, Dept of Environmental Conservation
To:	Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
Download: ML060940188 (3)

Text

Table of Sturgeon of New York Similarities and Differences Among New York's Sturgeon More information from this division:

Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Fish Species Description Habitat Reproduction Feeding Population Status/ Comments Atlantic Sturgeon 6-10 ft. long (up to 14 ft)

50-200 pounds (up to 800 lbs.)

Olive green to blue-black on back and upper

sides, white on

belly Young sturgeon spend the first

2-7 years in

large freshwater

streams Adult sturgeon spend the bulk

of their lives at

sea, returning

to freshwater

to spawn Spawn April-June

Anadromous; runs up freshwater river

and streams to

broadcast eggs

upstream from the

salt front. Males move into the river first Eggs are sticky and attach to stones and

vegetation

Females reach sexual maturity at

18-19 years old

when they are 6-8 ft.

and over 70 lbs.

Males reach maturity

at 12 years when the

are 3.5-6.5 feet long.

Uses barbels to

locate food

Eat a variety of organisms including

worms, amphipods, isopods, midge

larvae, plants and small fishes Largest of New York's sturgeon

Lives up to 60+

years In New York found in the deepest portions

of the Hudson

River, occasionally

found as far north

as Albany

Prior to 1900 were abundant in

the Hudson River

estuary especially

south of Hyde

Park So abundant, were nicknamed "Albany beef".

Numbers are

down considerably

since then Lake Sturgeon http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/fishspecs/sturgtbl.html (1 of 3)04/03/2006 10:14:58 AM Table of Sturgeon of New York 3-5 ft. long (up to 7 ft.)

10-80 pounds (up to 300 lbs.)

Adults are dull gray with scutes same color as body; with clear

green on lower

parts of body and

head Angular and elongate snout;

wide mouth

Four barbels

Bony plates absent along anal

fin Primarily found

in freshwater

lakes and large

rivers. Prefers

areas with

clean sand, gravel, or rock

bottoms. Can also occur in slightly

brackish water.

Spawns in spring (May-June) in areas

of clean, large rubble

such as on

windswept rocky

shores of islands and

in rapids in streams

Prior to spawning, adult fish form groups in deep holes

near the spawning

site; fish sometimes

seem leaping out of

the water

Eggs are scattered by currents and

stock to logs and

rocks Female lake sturgeon reach maturity at 14-23 years old; males

mature at 8-19

years. Females only

spawn every 4-6

years Uses barbels to

locate food

Including: leaches, snails, clams, other

invertebrates, small

fish, and even algae New York status:

threatened. Lives

up to 80-100

years old; one

fish in Canada

was 154 years old.

In New York, lake sturgeon have been collected in the St. Lawrence

River, Lake

Ontario, Niagara

River, Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake, Seneca and

Cayuga canals, and the Grasse, Oswego &

Oswegatchie rivers.

Once abundant they were

considered a

trash fish; but as

value for caviar, smoked meat, and isinglass

became know the

fishery exploded.

In addition, pollution and

construction of

dams affected sturgeon and population

numbers plummeted. Lake

sturgeon are now

protected Shortnose Sturgeon Rarely exceed 3.5

feet and 14

pounds Olive yellow to gray or bluish on back; milky-white

to dark yellow on

belly Short, blunt, conical snout, large mouth

Four barbels

Bony plates absent along anal Occurs in

estuaries and

large coastal

rivers Spawns April-May

Semi-anadromous; migrates up the

Hudson River from

its mid-Hudson

overwintering areas to scatter eggs in freshwater

Spawns over rubble bottom with some

gravel and large

rocks; newly-

hatched fry are poor

swimmers and drift

with the currents Uses barbels to

locate food. Eats

sludge worms, aquatic insect

larvae, plans, snails, shrimp and

crayfish New York status:

endangered.

Smallest of New York's sturgeon Lives up to 65+

years old in New York. It is found in the lower

portion of the

Hudson River

from the southern

tip of Manhattan

upriver to the

Federal Dam at

Troy http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/fishspecs/sturgtbl.html (2 of 3)04/03/2006 10:14:58 AM Table of Sturgeon of New York fin along the bottom

Females first spawn at age 10, males at

age 9. Females

spawn every third

year and males

every other year Protected by law

Combination of factors is

responsible for

population declines; pollution, construction of

dams, demands

for sturgeon meat

and caviar Back to top of page http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/fishspecs/sturgtbl.html (3 of 3)04/03/2006 10:14:58 AM