In the past twenty-five years, the prehistoric dinosaur fish known as Lake Sturgeon was only caught fifteen times, as noted by Newsweek. Now, its sixteenth appearance has been documented as it was caught by an angler in the Kansas River.
Lake Sturgeon Caught in Kansas River
The Department of Wildlife and Parks shared the news of this catch through Facebook. The fisherman behind the reels, Kevin Zirjacks, shared how he knew that his catch was special when he got this fish. He expressed how he never expected to witness and hold a dinosaur fish firsthand. Zirjacks mentions how this catch is one that he will not forget.
After catching and taking photos with the fish, Zirjack released it back into the river.
RARE SPECIES ALERT! Check out this rare, super cool capture by an angler on the Kansas River! This large fish is a... Posted by Wildlife Diversity - Kansas Wildlife & Parks on Monday, December 5, 2022
Prehistoric Lake Sturgeon: Dinosaur Fish of the Great Lakes
Having first appeared in the fossil records around one hundred thirty-five million years before, lake sturgeons are among the earliest and biggest species that are Great Lakes natives, according to Newsweek. This dates back to roughly seventy years before the extinction of dinosaurs.
According to National Geographic, this fish species can grow to become remarkably huge. In fact, the sight of a six-feet long and two-hundred-pound lake sturgeon is not rare.
In fact, last 2012, Lake Scientist reported how a lake sturgeon was caught in Wisconsin and it weighed around two hundred forty pounds and was around seven feet and three inches in length.
Aside from its remarkable dimensions, these species are also known to live long. Male lake sturgeons can reach up to fifty-five years while females can exceed a full hundred fifty years. The species mature slowly and only start spawning when they reach fifteen to twenty-five years of age.
This fish species filled bodies of water more than two hundred years ago, taking up around 90% of the Great Lakes' biomass. However, over time, they have dramatically declined in number.
Such a decline can be attributed to catching attempts over the years as well as pollution and dam construction. They have also been affected by logging, climate change, and agricultural efforts.
However, recently, the species was gaining more protection especially with the implementation of stricter fishing rules within the Great Lakes. In fact, Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin is now a source brood for lake sturgeons. Eggs of these fishes are gotten and transferred to hatcheries that later on release them so that the fish species may increase in population.
It may take more time, however, for population levels to increase because female lake sturgeons only start producing eggs when they reach twenty years old.
Moreover, according to Newsweek, lake sturgeons are classified as endangered species in Missouri.
These dinosaur fishes can be spotted across North America, from Hudson Bay until Mississippi River.
RELATED ARTICLE: Crocodile Had Dinosaur For Its Last Meal Based On 95-Million Year Old Fossil, Study Claims
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