Florida Giant Jumping Gulf Sturgeon: Facts About This Prehistoric Fish

The Gulf Sturgeon traces its roots back 200 million years to the days when dinosaurs roamed the planet. They weigh 100 to 400 pounds on average and have been found to be up to 10-feet long. The sight of a fish that size leaping nearly six feet out of the water can be exciting and dangerous.

In Old English law, sturgeons were considered royal fish. If caught on or near the shore, without question belonged to the King. The armored plated monster fish was hunted to the brink of extinction. The value of their eggs, which is caviar to people, landed them on the threatened list under the Endangered Species Act. Today they are protected- it is illegal to catch and kill sturgeon.

Sturgeons, one of the oldest existing fish, breed in fresh water. Like salmon, they swim up river in the spring; spawn in summer and return to warm gulf waters in autumn. With a long snout and whiskers, the fish make a noise during spawning similar to a creaky door hinge. [Kind of like my Aunt Tabitha- when she walks.] A 100 pound female could have 500,000 eggs.

There has long been a debate as to why the Gulf Sturgeons jump out of the water. Ken Sulak, a biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey in Gainesville, believes it's a form of communication. That the sturgeons are announcing their presence and position to other fish.

The jumping peaks in late June through August, most often in the morning and evening. Sturgeons don't jump during spawning season. A lone sturgeon produces a series of sounds just before and after jumping. With a loud crash- it slams its body against the surface of the water. Some scientists think it could be alerting other fish to a found feeding ground.

Overall, the sturgeon population is estimated between 10,000-12,000. The Gulf Sturgeon is bottom-dwelling and toothless, they feed by vacuuming up their prey. They eat only in late fall and winter. In springtime- it's a cycle- back to where they were born. Sturgeons can live up to 50 years.

Longfellow's epic poem, Song of Hiawatha, pays homage to the sturgeon referred to as- King of fishes. The entire eighth chapter is an account of the battle between Hiawatha and the mighty fish.