Biologist with gulf sturgeon

The Gulf sturgeon traces its ancestry back 200 million years and little has changed with the appearance of this fish since. . This prehistoric fish reaches lengths of up to nine feet can weigh up to 300 pounds. It is well armored with rows of heavy plates that make it look menacing, but it is actually not an aggressive species, preferring to linger near the bottom of riverbeds and oceans. The Gulf sturgeon is listed as a threatened species by the federal government and a species of special concern by the state of Florida. Recreational and commercial fishing is prohibited by the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.