''Acipenser'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

sturgeons Sturgeon (from Old English ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European *''str̥(Hx)yón''-) is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the ...

, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

of the family

Acipenseridae Sturgeon (from Old English ultimately from Proto-Indo-European language, Proto-Indo-European *''str̥(Hx)yón''-) is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the ...

and the order

Acipenseriformes Acipenseriformes is an order (biology), order of basal (phylogenetics), basal Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes that includes living and fossil sturgeons and paddlefishes (Acipenseroidei), as well as the extinct family (biology), families C ...

Taxonomy

Prior to 2025, ''Acipenser'' contained almost all species in the

outside of ''

Huso ''Huso'' is a genus of sturgeons from eastern Europe, Asia, and eastern North America. The genus name is derived from ''wikt:huso, hūso'', the Old High German and Medieval Latin word for "sturgeon", which is also ancestral to ''wikt:Hausen, Haus ...

'' and the "shovelnose" sturgeons (''

Scaphirhynchus ''Scaphirhynchus'' is a genus of sturgeons native to North America. All species in this genus are considered to be Threatened species, threatened with extinction or worse. As of 2023, the pallid sturgeon (''S. albus'') and the Alabama sturgeon ( ...

'' and ''

Pseudoscaphirhynchus ''Pseudoscaphirhynchus'' is a genus of relatively small, highly threatened sturgeons that are restricted to the Aral Sea system (although Local extinction, extirpated from the Aral Sea itself), including the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, ...

''). However, such a placement is now known to be

paraphyletic Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...

with respect to the other genera, and these species have since been split into ''Huso'' and ''

Sinosturio ''Sinosturio'' is a genus of sturgeon native to the Pacific Ocean and associated river drainages in eastern Asia and western North America. Considered synonymous with ''Acipenser'' for nearly a century, it was revived as a distinct genus in 2025 ...

''. ''Acipenser'' in the strict sense (''

sensu stricto ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...

'') has been redefined with only 3 species. This is an ancient genus, with phylogenetic evidence suggesting that it is the most basal sturgeon genus, having diverged from other sturgeons during the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous (geochronology, geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic name) is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 143.1 ...

period. Several fossil species known as far back as the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...

, with the fossils of two species ('' A. praeparatorum'' and '' A. amnisinferos'') known from mass mortality assemblages thought to immediately follow the

Chicxulub impact The Chicxulub crater is an impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Its center is offshore, but the crater is named after the onshore community of Chicxulub Pueblo (not the larger coastal town of Chicxulub Puerto). I ...

, the beginning of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.'''' However, the classification of these fossil species is uncertain under the new taxonomy; for example, "''Acipenser''" ''praeparatorum'' may actually represent a more derived sturgeon related to the ''Huso''-''Pseudoscaphirhynchus'' lineage.

Extant species

The following three species are placed in this genus: *''

Acipenser desotoi The Gulf sturgeon (''Acipenser desotoi'') is a species of sturgeon endemic to the southeastern United States. An anadromous fish, it inhabits the Gulf of Mexico and spawns in a number of rivers that drain into it, from southern Florida west to east ...

'' Vladykov, 1955 (Gulf sturgeon) *''

Acipenser oxyrinchus The Atlantic sturgeon (''Acipenser oxyrinchus'') is a large species of sturgeon native to both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and associated river basins. It is a member of the family Acipenseridae, and, along with other sturgeon, it is sometime ...

'' Mitchill, 1815 (Atlantic sturgeon) *''

Acipenser sturio The European sea sturgeon (''Acipenser sturio''), also known as the Atlantic sturgeon or common sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon native to Europe. It was formerly abundant, being found in coastal habitats all over Europe. Most specifically, th ...

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

(

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

) (European sea sturgeon)

Fossil species

The following species are known from fossil remains, under a ''

sensu lato ''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular co ...

'' interpretation of the genus. Almost all aside from ''A. anisinferos'' and ''A. praeparatorum'' are thought to be ''

nomina dubia In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...

''. * †''

Acipenser albertensis ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Lambe, 1902 (

of Alberta, Canada) * †''

Acipenser amnisinferos ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

''Hilton & Grande, 2023 (Late Cretaceous of North Dakota, USA) * †''

Acipenser chilini ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Nessov, 1983 (

Early Paleocene The Danian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Paleocene Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series, of the Paleogene Period or system (stratigraphy), System, and of the Cenozoic Era or Erathem. The beginnin ...

of Kazakhstan) * ?†''

Acipenser cretaceous ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Daimeries, 1892 (Late Cretaceous of Belgium; potentially a

teleost Teleostei (; Ancient Greek, Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts (), is, by far, the largest group of ray-finned fishes (class Actinopterygii), with 96% of all neontology, extant species of f ...

) * †'' Acipenser eruciferus''

Cope A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...

, 1876 (Late Cretaceous of Montana, USA) * †''

Acipenser gigantissimus ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to ...

'' Nessov, 1997 (Late Cretaceous of Saratov, Russia) * †''

Acipenser lemoinei ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' (Priem, 1901) (

Early Eocene In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

of France) * ?†'' Acipenser molassicus'' Probst, 1882 (

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

of Germany; potentially a

chondrichthyan Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class (biology), class of jawed fish that contains the cartilaginous fish or chondrichthyans, which all have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fish'', which ...

) * †'' Acipenser ornatus'' Leidy, 1873 (Miocene of Virginia, USA) * †''

Acipenser parisiensis ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Priem, 1908 (

Early Oligocene The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two age (geology), ages or the lower of two stage (stratigraphy), stages of the Oligocene epoch (geology), Epoch/series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded b ...

of France) * †''

Acipenser praeparatorum ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Hilton & Grande, 2023 (Late Cretaceous of North Dakota, USA) * †'' Acipenser toliapicus''

Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he recei ...

1844 ''ex'' Woodward 1889 (Early Eocene of England) * ?†'' Acipenser tuberculosus'' Probst 1882 (Miocene of Germany; potentially a chondrichthyan) * †''

Acipenser zhylgensis ''Acipenser'' is a genus of sturgeons, containing three species native to freshwater and estuarine systems of eastern North America and Europe. It is the type genus of the family Acipenseridae and the order Acipenseriformes. Taxonomy Prior to 2 ...

'' Nessov, 1983 (Early Paleocene of Kazakhstan)

References

External links

* * * Ray-finned fish genera Extant Campanian first appearances Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Freshwater fish genera {{Acipenseriformes-stub