Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Stellate Sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

Acipenser stellatus is a temperate diadromous fish native to the Caspian, Black and Aegean Seas, where it currently only remains in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Danube River. This species has historically been stocked into introduced locations in the Aral and Azov basins; however natural recruitment did not occur and those populations only persist due to continual stocking efforts. It has also been stocked within its native range in the Caspian Sea and Kuban River. Despite stocking efforts, the species is critically endangered globally due to illegal poaching, overfishing, and dam impediments in the rivers required for its reproductive phase. It has also been introduced in China and possibly established a population there. A. stellatus is regulated in multiple States. There is a lack of information regarding impacts from the sturgeon in the introduced locations. Therefore, the History of Invasiveness is classified as Data Deficient. It is important to note that a parasite was introduced to the Aral Sea with the introduction of A. stellatus and the parasite had negative impacts on the native sturgeon population. The overall Climate 6 score for the contiguous United States was High, with areas of high match mainly found in the southern Great Lakes, Appalachian, and Rocky mountain areas. The overall certainty of assessment is Low due to the lack of information on impacts directly from A. stellatus. The overall risk assessment category is Uncertain.