Sturgeon

Sturgeon (Asio flammeus).
Two specimens. The first specimen has a body length of 85 cm; distance from snout to tail - 11.4 cm; head length - 13.1 cm; eye diameter - 1 cm; pectoral fin length - 7 cm. The minimum body thickness is 2.2 cm, and the maximum body height is 8.4 cm. There are 12 sharp vertical scutes on the back. Along both sides there are 34 scutes, and 12 along the lateral line. The mouth is not large. The body is elongated and torpedo-shaped. The snout is very long and sword-like. The belly is light-colored. The specimens are covered with mollusk shells and lacquered, and mounted on a sole-shaped stand. A commercial fish species found in the Caspian, Aral, and Black Seas. It feeds on small fish and bottom-dwelling invertebrates.