Beluga fish: appearance, weight, habitat, conservation status

Beluga is the largest fish that can be found in the waters of our planet. According to official data, its length can reach 4,5 meters and weigh up to 1500 kilograms. Although, there is evidence that they caught beluga 2 times larger. In any case, such data indicate that the beluga is the largest representative of the sturgeon family.

In our time, such dimensions are something from the realm of fantasy. As a rule, individuals come across weighing no more than 300 kilograms, which indicates certain problems associated with the life cycle of this giant of rivers and seas.

Description of the Beluga

Habitat

Not more than 100 years ago, this giant was found in the basins of the Caspian, Black, Azov and Adriatic seas. Nowadays, it can be found only in the Black Sea basin, or rather in the Danube River, as well as in the Caspian Sea basin, exclusively in the Urals. In the basin of the Sea of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbAzov, and more precisely in the Volga River, one of the subspecies of the beluga is found, the number of which is maintained artificially.

Since many countries are engaged in artificial breeding of fish, the beluga population has not yet decreased in the water bodies of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey. And this is due to the fact that measures to restore the number of this fish occupy a special place in solving such problems. Only at the state level is it possible to solve such complex problems.

Appearance

The appearance of the beluga is reminiscent of its resemblance to sturgeon species of fish. Distinguishing features include:

• Fairly large mouth.
• Not a big blunt nose.
• The first spike, located on the back, is small.
• Between the gills is a membrane that connects them.

Beluga is distinguished by a wide, heavy body of a rounded shape, which is painted in a gray-ash hue. The belly is off-white in color, sometimes with a yellowish tint. On a massive body is a large head. The whiskers below the snout resemble leaf-like appendages as they are joined together.

Beluga sometimes interbreeds with its relatives, such as sterlet, spike, Russian sturgeon. As a result, hybrids are obtained that outwardly have some differences associated with the structure of the body, gills or color. Despite this, hybrids do not differ in their behavior from their relatives.

Behavior

Beluga is a fish that has a peculiar behavior among representatives of this species. There are two forms that differ in the period of spawning migrations and the duration of stay in fresh water. In the sea, the beluga prefers to lead a solitary lifestyle, and being in the river, it gathers in numerous flocks. This is due to the fact that she comes to the rivers for spawning, and in the sea she only feeds and develops.

Diet

Beluga is a predatory fish and it begins to lead this way of life quite early. The diet includes fish such as herring, carp, zander and gobies. At the same time, the beluga is not averse to swallowing its relative if it is small and hesitated somewhere.

In addition to fish, she is able to swallow mollusks, waterfowl and even baby seals if she reaches the appropriate size. Experts came to the conclusion that the migrations of the beluga are associated with the migrations of its food supply.

Spawning

One of the subspecies spawns before the other. Its spawning period coincides with the maximum spring water level in the rivers. At the same time, the water temperature can reach + 8- + 17 degrees. Another subspecies comes for spawning from the seas somewhere in the month of August. After that, individuals hibernate in deep holes, and begin to spawn in spring. Beluga begins to spawn at the age of 15-17 years, after reaching a weight of about 50 kg.

Beluga spawns at a depth of at least 10 meters. At the same time, she chooses areas with a hard rocky bottom and with a fast current, which provides a spawning site with oxygen.

Fish living in the seas enter the rivers for spawning, therefore they are called migratory. Being in fresh water, she continues to feed actively. After spawning, as soon as fry appear from the eggs, she returns to the sea with them. Beluga comes to spawn once every 2-3 years. At the same time, there is a species that lives in rivers constantly and does not migrate over long distances.

Commercial fishing

More recently, the beluga was of industrial interest and was caught at a tremendous pace. Because of this, a similar breed of fish was on the verge of extinction.

Since this fish may disappear altogether, its catch is significantly limited in all countries of the world. In some countries, it is forbidden to catch it at all. Beluga is listed in the Red Book as a species that is on the verge of extinction. In some countries, it is permissible to catch it under a special license and only for the purpose of scientific research. This fish is caught with fixed or rafted nets.

Beluga caviar

Beluga black caviar is the most expensive food product today. Its cost can reach several thousand euros per kilogram. The caviar that is found in the markets is either counterfeit or illegally obtained.

Interesting Beluga Facts

1. Beluga can live for over 100 years, which is why it is considered one of the longest-lived fish in the world.
2. Parents do not care about their offspring. Moreover, they do not mind feasting on their relatives.
3. When the beluga spawns, it jumps high out of the water. Until now, this is an unsolved mystery.
4. The beluga, like the shark, has no bones, and its skeleton consists of cartilage, which over the years become harder and stronger.
5. The female can find quite a lot of caviar. So, an individual weighing about 1200 kg can have up to 150 kg of caviar.
6. In the Amur River basin, there is a close species – kaluga, which can reach a length of about 5 meters and weigh up to 1000 kg. Attempts by scientists to cross Kaluga and Beluga ended in nothing.

View preservation issues

According to scientists, the beluga population has declined by 90% in just the last 50 years. Therefore, based on such research results, we can assume that this is not at all a comforting result. Back in the middle of the last century, about 25 thousand individuals entered the Volga for spawning, and already at the beginning of this century this number was reduced to 3 thousand.

Moreover, all these processes take place against the backdrop of huge efforts that humanity is making in order to maintain the population of the species at least at the same level. The main reasons for the reduction in numbers are as follows:

1. Construction of hydroelectric power plants. The presence of huge dams does not allow fish to rise to their natural spawning grounds. Such structures practically cut off the ways of beluga movement in the rivers of Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia.
2. activities of poachers. Sufficiently high prices for the meat of this fish and its caviar are of interest to people who are accustomed to earning money illegally. Since they catch the largest individuals that are able to reproduce numerous offspring, the damage is very significant. As a result of such actions, the Adriatic population completely disappeared.
3. Violation of ecology. Since the beluga can live for a long time, during this time harmful substances accumulate in her body that enter the water as a result of human activities, such as pesticides. This type of chemical affects the reproductive functions of fish.

One can only hope that people will still be able to preserve this type of fish, which is huge in size, for their descendants.