In Russia, no royal feast was possible without exquisite dishes from sturgeon. To the court of the rulers, the fish was delivered in troughs hollowed out of oak trunks, shifting it with a damp rag to deliver the emperor alive. For the most important holiday tables, the powers prepared aspic and sterlet fish soup, while huge sturgeon baked with vegetables was the main decoration of the feasts. People who have been fishing this noble fish from generation to generation often have never tried it in their entire lives, because it cost a lot of money and the entire fishing industry was strictly controlled.
Today, the catch of this fish has been critically reduced, and it has not become more accessible to the masses. However, if desired, some sturgeons can be found on sale. But distinguishing them from one another is a more serious task. For example, how many people know how sturgeon differs from sterlet? The answer to this question is not so complicated as it might seem at first glance. In order to determine who is who, it is enough to know the main differences - then even at first glance you can accurately determine what an outlandish fish is in front of you.
What do biologists say?
Surprisingly, any reference book on zoology can help find the answer to the question of how sturgeon differs from sterlet. The difference between the fish in the official classification. The Sturgeon family includes the genus of the same name. A sterlet is one of the species that enters it. In other words, sturgeons are called all representatives of the genus Sturgeons, of which there are as many as 19 species. Sterlet is a narrower definition.
Common features of all sturgeons
Representatives of the family are large in size. This moment will help to understand how sturgeon differs from sterlet. Sturgeons have tender white meat with a low fat content and few bones. And their caviar around the world is considered one of the most valuable delicacies.
Sturgeons live in rivers, many of them love traveling, and periodically go to the seas. This is due to the characteristics of spawning. In this regard, sterlet is an exception, it is a home-fish.
When size matters
Have you ever seen photos of a beluga? This fish belongs to the Sturgeons and is one of the largest on the planet, reaching several meters in length. But the sterlet can be called an anti-record champion. It is the smallest in the family, its length rarely reaches a meter. The largest specimens caught reached about 125 cm. The sterlet weighs about 3-5 kilograms. To the question of how the sterlet differs from the sturgeon, you can safely answer: "First of all, by size." All other members of the family are larger than sterlet.
Features of the structure of the head
The shape of the head and nose is the next characteristic feature, which can also be used to determine how sturgeon differs from sterlet. A photo will help to see the differences clearly. Take a closer look: the nose of the sterlet is long and sharp, its head is narrow and small compared to the body. In addition, this fish has a fringed mustache.
Most sturgeons are different: the nose is shorter, the head is larger and wider. And also the fishermen say that the sterlet has some special look, as if surprised or naive. Sturgeon looks different - as if more confident. Of course, this is not about the character and not about the fact that you can read the fish’s thoughts from the look. This phenomenon is due solely to the structural features of the skull.
Body color and structure
Sturgeon species include several breeds very similar to each other. You should not focus on color, trying to determine how sturgeon differs from sterlet. What is the difference in color of these fish? All sturgeons, including sterlet, are gray in color, about light to almost black.
But you can help counting the side bugs - special bone scutes. The sterlet has more of them than other sturgeons. The bug can have up to 70 pieces, but the sturgeon has only 50 of them. The sterlet’s dorsal spines are crowned with sharp thorns. The body of the sturgeon is smoother. In the next photo, this noble fish is clearly visible.
Lifestyle
Some sturgeons lead some incredible life. For example, the beluga leaves spawning from the sea to the rivers flowing into it, overcoming a many-kilometer path. Sturgeon also loves to "walk", but the sterlet is a sedentary fish. She lives in clean running water, leads a benthic lifestyle, but she also rises to the surface with the aim of hunting gape insects. Like all sturgeons, sterlet is a predator. She eats larvae, worms, small fish, and eggs of other underwater inhabitants. Although the sterlet does not have a great love of travel, it also happens to swim in the lakes. She behaves there even more carefully than in her native river, continues to hunt, but will never spawn.
Caviar
You can distinguish these fish from each other and their eggs. The sterlet, as we already know, is relatively small, therefore, there is less caviar in it. It has a rich color, and grains the size of a bead. Slightly greenish sturgeon caviar is larger.
