Did you know that although sturgeon are freshwater fish, many of its species are anadromous—meaning they inhabit or can survive in saltwater, too? Most of the 26 total sturgeon species migrate to spawn seasonally between fresh and saltwater bodies. However, some types of sturgeon live exclusively in specific water habitats.
Learn more about freshwater and saltwater sturgeon and the differences between their species.
Understanding the Different Types of Sturgeon: A Deep Dive Into Their Freshwater & Saltwater Species
As mentioned, most types of sturgeon live in fresh and saltwater based on their migration patterns since they’re an anadromous fish species. However, various environmental hazards for sturgeon also negatively impact their migratory routes, causing them to relocate where they naturally inhabit to spawn.
Climate change and pollution in freshwater bodies are drying and destroying wild sturgeon habitats in rivers, seas, and lakes. Water developments like hydropower dam barriers and channelization also block sturgeon access to their migration routes.
Additionally, the illegal seafood trade and overfishing for sturgeon caviar are categorizing several species as critically endangered. As a result, sturgeon are spending more time searching for optimal spawning locations, and their success is declining.
Below is a brief overview of some freshwater and saltwater sturgeon species and what we can do to improve sturgeon conservation.
Atlantic Sturgeon
Atlantic sturgeon inhabit salt and freshwater. They migrate to saltwater bodies in the fall and winter, then return to freshwater rivers in the spring and summer for spawning. Also known as homestream spawners, they travel back to freshwater habitats where they were born to repopulate. Some Atlantic sturgeon even live in the sea for years.
The Atlantic sturgeon habitats are located in Labrador, Canada, and south of the St. Johns River in Florida.
Gulf Sturgeon
Like Atlantic sturgeon, Gulf sturgeon also live in freshwater and saltwater bodies. The migration patterns of Gulf sturgeon include traveling upstream to the Mississippi River in Louisiana and the Suwanee River in Florida from the Gulf of Mexico. They’ll move upstream between February and April and downstream between September and November.
Lake Sturgeon
Lake sturgeon are a unique type of sturgeon because they solely live in freshwater bodies. As the name suggests, they live in freshwater lakes. However, Lake sturgeon also live in freshwater rivers. The Lake sturgeon habitats are in the Hudson Bay, Mississippi River, and Great Lakes.
Although they only live in freshwater, Lake sturgeon still migrate to spawn. They’ll move to the shores of freshwater bodies in the early summer for spawning.
White Sturgeon
White sturgeon is primarily a freshwater fish species but is born in the ocean. They’re native to the coastal waters of the North American West Coast, Alaska, and Ensenada, Mexico. White sturgeon don’t live in open ocean water and live along the shores as bottom feeders.
Even as saltwater natives, Atlantic sturgeon live majorly in large freshwater rivers and their associated estuaries along the Sacramento-San Joaquin system in California, the Fraser River in British Columbia, and the Columbia River.
Types of Sturgeon & Their Water Habitats
Below is a complete list of all sturgeon species and the types of water they naturally inhabit.
| STURGEON SPECIES | WATER HABITAT TYPE |
| Alabama Sturgeon | Freshwater |
| Adriatic Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Amur Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Atlantic Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Amu Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon | Freshwater |
| Beluga Sturgeon (Huso Huso) | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Chinese Paddlefish | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Chinese Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Danube (Russian) Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| European Atlantic Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Green Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Gulf Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Kaluga Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Lake Sturgeon | Freshwater |
| Paddlefish | Freshwater |
| Pallid Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Persian Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Sakhalin Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Ship Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Shortnose Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | Freshwater |
| Siberian Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Stellate Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
| Sterlet | Freshwater |
| Syr Darya Shovelnose Sturgeon | Freshwater |
| White Sturgeon | Freshwater & Saltwater |
Freshwater vs. Saltwater FAQs
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about freshwater vs. saltwater habitats and the fish species living in them.
What’s the Difference Between Fresh and Saltwater?
The main difference between freshwater and saltwater is their salt concentration. Also known as salinity, saltwater bodies typically have at least 3.5% of salt, while freshwater has less than 1%. Examples of freshwater bodies include rivers, creeks, and lakes. Examples of saltwater bodies are oceans and hypersaline lakes.
Can Saltwater Fish Live in Freshwater?
Yes, depending on the fish species. Anadromous fish, like Gulf sturgeon, are prime examples of species living in saltwater and freshwater. It’s typically for migration to spawn in warmer waters during colder seasons. However, not all saltwater fish species can live in freshwater.
Can Freshwater Fish Survive in Saltwater?
The same answer applies to the question above. Some freshwater fish, such as the Atlantic sturgeon, can also survive in saltwater bodies. Depending on the fish species, some are anadromous and can live in both water habitats.
Help Protect Sturgeon for All Waterways: Support SIAA’s Global Conservation Efforts
Sturgeon are classified as the most endangered species group in the world, including freshwater and saltwater species. From poaching to climate change, various hazards are critically endangering many types of sturgeon and their habitats globally.
And you can help make a difference no matter how you contribute.
At SIAA, our missions include safeguarding sturgeon, other aquatic species, and their habitats to ensure the survival of their worldwide wildlife populations.
Whether you give a one-time donation or become an SIAA member, your support helps us advance in our critical conservation efforts.
Let’s protect sturgeon and our aquatic ecosystems together.
