Usually in a fish story about the massive one that never makes it to the table, there’s no proof such a critter ever existed.
But this time, Hudson River Estuary Program fisheries staff made sure to document the massive Atlantic sturgeon caught recently in New York state’s Hudson River.
“Last week, during an Atlantic sturgeon survey, Hudson River Estuary Program fisheries staff captured a fish that was over 6 feet long and weighed about 220 pounds,” the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation posted on its Facebook page.
“Atlantic sturgeon are an endangered, anadromous fish species that spend most of the year in the ocean, but the adults move in the Hudson during this time of year to spawn. While in the ocean they migrate from Florida to Maine,” the post said.
The post also noted that the Atlantic sturgeon is the biggest fish that can be found in the Hudson River and the largest of three species of sturgeon found in New York state.
The post added that staffers believe the fish was a female that had not yet laid its eggs.
The post also said that staff conduct an annual survey in May and June to see how the Atlantic sturgeon population is faring.
“Staff use nets to capture the fish, measure it, scan it for a tag (and give it one if it doesn’t have one), take a piece of fin for genetic analysis, and weigh it before releasing it back into the wild,” the post reads.
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The fish was caught about 80 miles north of New York City near Hyde Park, according to the Albany Times-Union
“We don’t catch many females, so this suspected female was our third of the survey, which is significant,” Amanda Higgs, a fishery biologist with the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, said.
The Atlantic sturgeon, which had been a popular food source a century ago, was declared endangered in 2012 after overfishing and a loss of its habitat.
Atlantic sturgeon are an endangered, anadromous fish species that spend most of the year in the ocean, but adults move in the Hudson River this time of year to spawn. It’s the Hudson’s biggest fish. It’s also the largest of NY’s 3 sturgeon species (Atlantic, shortnose, & lake). pic.twitter.com/8ektRcwlOD
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) June 26, 2024
Higgs said there were abut 450 Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson in 2014, according to Fox News.
“Another population assessment is underway (three-year study period) and in its second year, so it might be a few more years before an updated number is available. Preliminary data shows positive trends,” she said.
Atlantic sturgeons can grow as large as 14 feet long and weigh up to 800 pounds.
“Program staff have caught fish in the past that weighed in at 250 to 300 pounds,” Higgs said.
