Russian sturgeon
Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833
CRCritically Endangeredbony fish
The russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) is a bony fish in the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. It is also called Osetr or Danube sturgeon, and its scientific name was given by Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833.
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Quick facts about the russian sturgeon
The IUCN Red List assesses the russian sturgeon globally as Critically Endangered (CR), an IUCN threatened category.
- Weight
- up to 115 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- up to 2.35 msrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the russian sturgeon
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the russian sturgeon live?
Not recorded
What is the russian sturgeon?
The Russian sturgeon (Huso gueldenstaedtii), also known as the diamond sturgeon or Danube sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. It is also found in the Caspian Sea. This fish can grow up to about 235 cm (93 in) and weigh 115 kg (254 lb). Russian sturgeon mature and reproduce slowly, making them highly vulnerable to fishing.
Prior to 2025, it was placed in the genus Acipenser, but this placement was found to be paraphyletic, and it is more accurately placed in the genus Huso.
From the Wikipedia article “Russian sturgeon” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Russian_sturgeon&oldid=1338988900), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the russian sturgeon endangered?
The russian sturgeon is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List: it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Critically Endangered species.
How is the russian sturgeon classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classChondrostei
- orderAcipenseriformes
- familyAcipenseridae
- genusAcipenser
- SpeciesAcipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833
Synonyms Acipenser aculeatus, Acipenser brevirostris, Acipenser brevirostris, Acipenser gueldenstadti, Acipenser gueldenstadtii, Acipenser gueldenstaedti, Acipenser gueldenstaedti acutirostris, Acipenser gueldenstaedti golis, Acipenser gueldenstaedti longirostris, Acipenser gueldenstaedti scaber, Acipenser gueldenstaedti tanaica, Acipenser gueldenstaedti var. tanaica, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii scobar, Acipenser guldenstadti, Acipenser güldenstädti, Acipenser guldenstaedti, Acipenser güldenstaedti, Acipenser güldenstõdti, Acipenser macrophthalmus, Acipenser macrophthalmus, Acipenser medius, Acipenser medius, Acipenser persicus colchicus, Acipenser pygmaeus, Acipenser tücka, Acipenser tuecka, Huso gueldenstaedtii
Other names and names in other languages (41)
- Danube sturgeonEnglish
- Danube sturgeon (=Osetr)English
- OsetrEnglish
- Асетр рускіBelarusian
- Руска есетраBulgarian
- pуска есетраBulgarian
- Ruskа esetrаBulgarian
- Ruska esetraBulgarian
- Jeseter ruskýCzech
- diamantstørDanish
- WaxdickGerman
- Donau-StörGerman
- Ossietra-StörGerman
- Russischer StörGerman
- Οξύρυγχος ΔούναβηGreek
- esturion del DanubioSpanish
- esturión del DanubioSpanish
- Vene tuurEstonian
- venäjänsampiFinnish
- esturgeon du DanubeFrench
- חדקן רוסיHebrew
- Vágó tokHungarian
- storione russoItalian
- storione danubianoItalian
- rusiškasis eršketasLithuanian
- DonausteurDutch
- diamantsteurDutch
- jesiotr rosyjskiPolish
- nisetruRomanian
- Осетр русскийRussian
- Русский осетрRussian
- русский осётрRussian
- kosterSlovenian
- rysk störSwedish
- karacaTurkish
- karaca baligiTurkish
- karaca balığıTurkish
- rus mersin baligiTurkish
- Осетер руськийUkrainian
- Осетер російськийUkrainian
- Осетр російськийUkrainian
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaITISTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the russian sturgeon
Other species in the same genus Acipenser.
Sterlet
Acipenser ruthenus
European sea sturgeon
Acipenser sturio
Starry sturgeon
Acipenser stellatus
Siberian sturgeon
Acipenser baerii
Ship
Acipenser nudiventris
Adriatic sturgeon
Acipenser naccarii
CompareRussian sturgeon vs SterletRussian sturgeon vs European sea sturgeonRussian sturgeon vs Starry sturgeonRussian sturgeon vs Siberian sturgeon
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the russian sturgeon?
The russian sturgeon is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Acipenseridae in the order Acipenseriformes.
Is the russian sturgeon endangered?
Yes. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Critically Endangered (CR), which is an IUCN threatened category.
What is the scientific name of the russian sturgeon?
Its scientific name is Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, placing it in the genus Acipenser.
Who named the russian sturgeon?
The russian sturgeon was named by Brandt & Ratzeburg, 1833.
What other names does the russian sturgeon have?
It is also called Osetr and Danube sturgeon.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
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CreatureData. (2026). Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/russian-sturgeon
“Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/russian-sturgeon.
@misc{russian_sturgeon_2026,
title = {Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/russian-sturgeon},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}