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How much does a beluga weigh? The weight of the largest beluga? How much did the largest beluga weigh? Where does the beluga live?

Beluga is a fish belonging to the sturgeon family, the order Sturgeon. It is a valuable commercial species; it has been caught in large quantities for a long time, which is why its numbers have greatly decreased; is now an endangered species.

This species is the largest freshwater sturgeon fish. The catch of individuals reaching a length of up to 4.2 m was recorded. Weight Limit at the same time, it is 1.5 tons. Fishermen claim that when the largest beluga was caught, it reached 9 m in length and weighed more than 2 tons, but these facts are not confirmed by anything. The average size of the fish is smaller: most often you come across beluga, whose weight does not exceed 300 kg.

The appearance of this underwater inhabitant is similar to the appearance of other sturgeon representatives: the body is elongated, wide, rounded. The beluga's body narrows towards the tail. The scales have a gray-ash tint. The belly is light, dirty white, with a possible yellowish tint.

Beluga and beluga whales should not be confused: the latter is a type of toothed whale. Previously, both words denoted a mammal; Now “beluga” means fish, “beluga” means whale.

Distinctive Features

Feature appearance is a large head, in the lower part of which there are antennae connected together. The nose is small and pointed. A large mouth with no teeth inside. There are spines on the back, the first of which is small. Between the gills there is a membrane connecting them.

Behavior and lifestyle

Natural enemies this type almost none. However, the eggs can be eaten by others predatory species. Some underwater predators also destroy larvae and fry. The young of this sturgeon species can also be eaten by the grown fry of this large predatory fish.

There is a large number underwater inhabitants, which representatives of the largest freshwater species of sturgeon feed on - and the beluga feeds on those that are smaller. These are small species of fish, smaller relatives, mollusks, crustaceans, and even waterfowl. Cases have been recorded in which the remains of seal pups were found in the stomachs of captured individuals. The fry eat insect larvae and zooplankton.

Habitat

Previously, the range was wider. This species of sturgeon could be found in the Adriatic Sea. Over the past 30 years, not a single individual has been found in this salty reservoir, so the population is considered destroyed.

Now this species can be found in the Azov, Black and Caspian seas. Previously, these seas were also inhabited by a large number of individuals; now the population from the Black Sea is on the verge of extinction, because too few in number.

During the breeding season, the fish moves to fresh rivers, from where it then returns to the seas to live in salt water for 1-2 years.

Lifespan

How long this representative of the underwater fauna lives depends on external conditions. If the habitat is favorable, life expectancy can be up to 100 years.

Reproduction

Belugas go into rivers to spawn. Migration patterns depend on the species—what the fish looks like and where it lives. The Azov beluga moves to the Don. Fewer individuals flock to Kuban. The Black Sea swims into the Danube, Dnieper, and Dniester. Rare specimens rise along the Southern Bug. The Caspian beluga swims to the Volga to breed; a smaller number of representatives of the species rise upstream of the Urals, Terek, and Kura. It often rises to spawn in August, after which it remains in fresh water for a year, breeding only in May.

Reaches sexual maturity late. Males become capable of reproduction from 13-18 years, females - from 16-27. The Azov variety ripens faster than others.

Fecundity depends on the size of the individual. One female is capable of laying from 500,000 to 1,000,000 eggs at a time. The most major representatives species can lay up to 5,000,000 eggs. There is information about beluga fertility interesting fact: populations living in different areas move different quantity caviar. It is believed that Volga females spawn approximately 50% more at a time than those breeding in the Kura.

After spawning, adult fish go to sea, where they live until the next breeding. Beluga spawning occurs once every 2-4 years; During their life they reproduce up to 8-9 times.

The caviar is sticky, bottom, pearl-gray in color. Large in diameter, can reach 5 mm. Often it becomes prey for other river predators; the survival rate is low. Beluga cubs quickly leave their birthplace and slide downstream into the sea. Individuals may remain in fresh water up to 5−6 years.

There have been recorded cases of beluga crossing with sterlet, sturgeon, thorn, and stellate sturgeon under natural conditions.

The benefits of beluga meat

This fish has tougher meat than other members of the sturgeon family. Its fat content is also less. For this reason, the product can be used in the diet. The protein it contains is easily digestible human body. It contains vitamins A, D, PP, E, C, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, molybdenum, potassium, fluorine, sodium. The pulp also contains Omega-3 fatty acids and amino acids, including essential ones. Milk is also used for food: it can be eaten fresh or in the form of a pate.

Beluga delicate black caviar is also useful. This expensive product contains a large amount useful substances. Considered a delicacy.

You should not eat beluga meat if you have inflammatory diseases, allergic reactions, kidney diseases, diabetes mellitus, gastritis, edema. In these cases, it can harm the body.

Artificial breeding of beluga

Due to excessive population decline, the species' status has changed to endangered. Beluga has long been listed in the Red Book for protection from poachers. Because of this, fishing has been severely limited; in some countries it is prohibited to catch these underwater inhabitants. To restore the species' numbers, other methods are also used: people breed beluga in artificially created conditions.

With the help of artificial insemination, a hybrid capable of producing offspring was bred on the Don and Volga. To obtain it, belugas were crossed with sterlet. The resulting individuals were relocated to the Sea of ​​Azov. In addition, they populated several reservoirs.

Artificial breeding of the breed is also carried out in some aquaculture farms.

Beluga is a fish of the sturgeon family, which today is an endangered species as a result of unauthorized catching and brutal extermination for the sake of caviar.

This is the largest fish found in fresh water. It is enormous in size (the largest known specimen reaches 6 m in length and weighs about two tons).

Beluga is a fish of the sturgeon family, which today is an endangered species

Specimens of this size are almost never found these days. Due to the fact that until recently this species was a commercial species, as well as due to the loss of natural spawning grounds, the population has noticeably decreased. So you won’t see an unusually large fish today.

The beluga has a very unusual face for sturgeon. A huge mouth, resembling a giant crescent moon, occupies most of it. The antennae near the mouth are slightly flattened, resembling small leaves in shape, and serve for the sense of smell, which is very developed in these fish. But their eyesight is poor, so they navigate with the help of developed coordination.

Individuals of different sexes have the same color. Dark gray or greenish back and light, almost white belly. Typically, females are larger than males.

Beluga is a unique species that has existed for almost 200 million years and has reached us without changing its appearance (except perhaps its weight). Because of the bone covering, it seems that it is encased in a shell in order to survive safely to this day and be protected from attacks by other predatory inhabitants of water bodies.

Gallery: beluga fish (25 photos)























The biggest trophies caught by fishermen (video)

Habitats

The habitat is mainly the Black, Caspian and Azov seas. The largest abundance was recorded in the Caspian Sea - this is where this fish can be found most often. She goes to the Volga to spawn and goes upstream to the upper reaches of the Kama. This fish was also found off the coast of Iran. A fish lift was built for it at the Volgograd hydroelectric complex, but due to poor performance it was not used after some time, and the valuable fish ceased to live en masse in the Volga.

This is the largest fish found in fresh water

The Black Sea beluga was also spotted off the coast of Yalta, not far from the coast of Crimea, and was actively distributed in the Danube (there were about 6 species there). The migration of fish in the Danube continued naturally until a hydroelectric power station was built between Serbia and Romania. As a result, routes to the usual spawning routes were blocked for many kilometers. Unable to migrate, the population began to lose genetic activity as a result of crossing between related individuals.

Fish of this weight can only find sufficient food in the sea, and their presence in a reservoir indicates a healthy ecological situation. To spawn, this species travels long distances to reach freshwater environments.

If it turns out that the water is polluted, the female refuses to spawn, and after some time the eggs are absorbed in her body.

The fish constantly changes its location in the reservoir, this is also typical for the white beluga; it likes to go to the depths, where there is a strong current, here it finds food, and deep holes are most suitable for rest. IN spring period When the upper layers of water have warmed up sufficiently, you can notice large fish near the surface and in shallow water.

With the onset of autumn, the fish go deeper and change their behavior and diet, starting to eat shells and crustaceans.

All members of the sturgeon family travel long distances in order to find a spawning site and sufficient food. Beluga can be found in both salt and fresh water, but some species are freshwater only and live exclusively in rivers. Reproduction occurs only in rivers, and due to the long life of individuals, a very long period of time is required in order to reproduce offspring.

Beluga (video)

Reproduction

Puberty occurs quite late. The male Azov beluga is ready to breed at the age of 12 years, and the female - not earlier than 16-18 years. The Caspian species matures later, so the female becomes sexually mature by the age of 27 and gains weight. Unlike other fish that die after spawning, the Azov beluga can produce offspring repeatedly, but with a certain period of time ranging from 2 to 4 years, thus spawning can occur 8-9 times during its life. On average, a female lays about a million eggs, and in some cases much more, depending on her size and age.

There are 2 races that go to spawn and choose spring or autumn period migration. Entering the river from January to May, the female lays eggs in the same year, and the autumn race, in order to find a place convenient for spawning and safely occupy it, comes in August and is forced to stay for the winter. Thus, she spawns only on next year after going into the river. Hibernating and covered in mucus, the beluga waits until May or June, after which it lays eggs in places with a rocky bottom and fast currents. Males appear in the spawning grounds earlier than females, and the process of fertilization occurs almost the same as in all bony fish - externally. In the future, individuals continue to lead a solitary lifestyle.

During beluga spawning, you can observe the fish jumping out of the water, thus ensuring easy release of eggs. Having an oval shape and the size of a small pea, the dark gray eggs stick to the stones and, well secured, remain in this position for up to 8 days. But most of them are eaten by other fish, and therefore the survival rate is very low.

After spawning occurs, the female is sick for some time and does not eat. After a short break, the need for food increases, and the beluga begins active search food. It is almost impossible to find it in such volumes in the river, so sturgeon go back to the sea and find food at great depths. Since the beluga is a predator, its diet consists mainly of fish. Herring, roach and anchovies are the most preferred food. Moreover, this predator begins to feed on living organisms while still a fry. Beluga cubs live in well-warmed areas of shallow water and, as they grow older, go to the sea, eating small invertebrates along the way, and later small fish. They grow quickly and within a year reach a meter in size.

By the way, in order to increase the number of beluga, adult females are caught and the eggs are removed, after which artificial insemination is carried out and incubated in devices designed for this purpose. The fry are allowed to grow and then released into rivers to grow naturally.

The disadvantages of this method are that juveniles raised in an unnatural environment cannot fully take care of food and do not have the instinct of self-preservation. The amount of fish that comes back is very small. Thus, this method turned out to be ineffective.

Fishing and illegal fishing

To catch everyone sturgeon breeds a strict ban has been imposed. In private farms where they are bred, the ban does not apply. If a rare fish is suddenly caught on the river, it must be released, or it will be considered poaching. But, despite all the prohibitions, fishing valuable fish continues, and the beluga caviar business is booming.

Danube Beluga – oldest species, which has been preserved since the time of the dinosaurs and is carefully protected, but smuggling continues to gain momentum, and European markets are saturated with caviar from this and other sturgeon breeds. The fairly high price is due to the excellent taste. In terms of its properties, beluga caviar exceeds the calorie content of the meat itself and is very useful product, supporting health and beauty. High protein content, which has unique property completely absorbed by the body, and the presence of antioxidants reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Such valuable qualities of caviar lead to the barbaric destruction of the beluga as a species. Since the fish is on the verge of extinction, it is listed in the world Red Book and is protected by the law of those states in which it is found.


The Black Sea beluga was also spotted off the coast of Yalta near the coast of Crimea, and was actively distributed in the Danube

In Russia, there is a mechanism for administrative enforcement against persons engaged in illegal mining of this valuable rock. Large fines for each individual caught, combined with the fine for illegal fishing, represent impressive amounts. There is also criminal liability up to imprisonment for up to 5 years.

As a result, beluga sturgeon has become a pipe dream for law-abiding fishermen, and finding one will require a lot of time and many fishing licensing problems.

Fishermen told many mythical stories related to the huge fish. For example, there was a legend about a stone that was found in the kidneys of a giant beluga. Wonderful properties healings from any ailments and ailments were attributed to him. The owner of such a trophy was protected from all sorts of troubles and misfortunes, attracted good luck and ensured a rich catch and the safety of the ship in bad weather and storms.

They also said that one could be poisoned by the poison of an enraged beluga. The meat and liver of the young individual were allegedly poisonous, but no one found confirmation of such “facts”. The expression “roar (or scream) as a beluga” is still often heard, but this has nothing to do with the sturgeon representative. Loud sounds are made by a whale with a consonant name - beluga whale.

Beluga is one of the largest predatory fish. Previously, it was a fairly common species, but due to the constantly deteriorating environmental situation, as well as increasing cases of poaching, the beluga was recognized as an endangered species and listed in the Red Book.

The main advantage of a fish like beluga is its cost. Although the fish has fairly tough meat, it costs much less (no more than $15 per kilogram) than most sturgeon representatives, while not inferior to them in its taste.

Because beluga caviar is one of the most expensive in the world, the beluga population in natural conditions so insignificant that it is supported only by fish breeding in fish farms and private reservoirs.

Sturgeon family: description

The sturgeon family includes fish, the first representatives of which appeared many centuries ago. They differ from other types of fish characteristic features appearance, main feature which consists of five rows of bony scutes located along the elongated body of the beluga.

Like all sturgeon fish, the beluga has an elongated head, while in its lower part there are 4 antennae that reach the beluga’s mouth. In addition, the structure of sturgeon contains features of cartilaginous fish that are more primitive in structure, but the main distinctive feature sturgeon is that the base of their skeleton is made up of an elastic cartilaginous chord, thanks to which the fish fully develops even taking into account the fact that it does not have vertebrae in its structure.

The most common sturgeon species include various varieties of sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, kuluga, beluga and sterlet. These are quite large fish, among which the largest is the beluga. The fish can reach a length of up to 4 meters. Moreover, the weight of some individuals in rare cases exceeds a ton. Despite the fact that beluga is found in large numbers mainly within the Caspian and Black Seas, where it is distributed almost everywhere, during the spawning period the beluga literally fills large freshwater rivers.

Beluga: description of fish

Beluga is one of the largest freshwater fish. Depending on its habitat, its weight reaches from 50 kg to 1 ton. The average weight of beluga fish caught in industrial scale, ranges from 50-80 kg. This migratory fish is a true long-liver, as some individuals reach one century in age.

In fact, the beluga is a predator that begins to hunt even in the juvenile stage. Individuals that spend most of their lives in sea ​​water, feed mainly on fish. In addition, in nature, beluga can form mixed (hybrid) varieties, among which greatest distribution received crosses:

  • With sterlet - forms a fish called bester, which is the most common beluga hybrid. It is grown as a main source of prey sturgeon fish on an industrial scale. This is explained primarily good characteristics its meat obtained during processing, as well as direct nutritional value, as a result of which the quality of products created from this fish allows us to maintain a consistently high demand for it.
  • Sevruga.
  • Thorn fish.
  • Sturgeon.

These beluga hybrids are distributed both within Sea of ​​Azov, and in some reservoirs.

Distinctive Features

Besides its size, this fish can be distinguished from other sturgeon representatives by their thick, cylindrical body and short, pointed nose. It is slightly translucent due to the fact that there are no bone scutes on it. Her mouth occupies the entire width of her head, with a thick lip hanging over it. The antennae on the bottom of the head are different from similar body other fish belonging to the sturgeon group, in their width and length: in other fish they are smaller. The bony scutes on the head, sides and peritoneum are underdeveloped. On the back the number of scutes reaches 13, on the sides - 40-45, and on the peritoneum does not exceed 12.

The body of the beluga is predominantly ash-gray. The color of the belly ranges from white to light gray, the nose is yellowish.

Beluga meat

Unlike other fish, beluga meat is quite coarse in structure, but nevertheless has excellent taste, for which it is valued all over the world. Excellent balyk products are made from it. In addition, many cold and hot dishes, as well as a variety of snacks, are made from it.

It is from beluga that the most the best caviar, catching on an industrial scale individuals whose weight starts from 5 kg, however, since beluga is the largest freshwater fish, its weight in most cases significantly exceeds these indicators. Despite the fact that beluga fish is a long-liver, the maximum age of individuals caught on an industrial scale does not exceed 30-40 years.

Habitat

The main habitats of the beluga: the Black and Caspian Seas with all the rivers flowing into them. In fact, the beluga is a fish that lives most of the time in water, and enters rivers only when it reaches an age suitable to begin breeding.

After this, she returns back to the sea, but together with the fry. It is noteworthy that she prefers not to go far, even though, thanks to her impressive size, she may have little fear of attack from other freshwater predators. In addition, the beluga has almost completely stopped natural reproduction, and its numbers are maintained mainly by fish farms and private reservoirs.

Zimovye

Beluga is a red fish that prefers to spend the winter in yatovs (river pits), where it goes out in order to rise and spawn with the onset of spring. Young animals prefer to go to the rivers for the winter or settle on insignificant deep sea. On average depth The beluga prefers to rest, having already spawned eggs and returned to the sea before the first frost. The largest and most mature individuals can only be found at great depths, however, due to their physiological characteristics most of them are no longer capable of reproduction.

During the onset of cold weather, the body of the beluga becomes covered with a thick layer of mucus (sleen), and the fish falls into a state of torpor until the onset of a thaw. At the same time, the beluga, hibernating, stores food for several months. When a beluga is caught during this period, undigested mollusks, small crustaceans and the remains of waterfowl wintering on rivers are often found in its stomach.

Calf throwing

Beluga spawning different sizes passes into different times However, for the youngest individuals this period falls in mid-spring and continues until autumn. The place for spawning is deep places with fast current, in which a rocky or cartilaginous bottom predominates. Some of the spawning individuals go to the deepest and coldest places on the river, and some return back to the sea.

Beluga caviar is quite large and resembles the size of a pea. It is noteworthy that one individual can reproduce volumes of eggs constituting 1/5 of its body. In this case, the number of eggs reaches several million. Young fish soon go to sea, where they live until they reach sexual maturity.

Food and cost

Beluga is a fish whose food consists mainly of mollusks, crustaceans and small fish. In some cases, it can eat birds resting or hunting on the water, as well as small freshwater animals.

Within the Caspian Sea, it serves as the main source of fishing, and although beluga is a fish whose price is much lower than sturgeon (from 10-15 dollars per kilogram), its unique large caviar is much more expensive than that of other red fish. An example is “diamond” albino beluga caviar, the cost of which reaches 18,000 euros. This cost is due to the fact that albino belugas lay their rich golden eggs approximately once every 100 years. At the same time, no more than 8-10 kg of caviar goes on sale in Europe per year.

  • The commercial weight of beluga starts from 5 kilograms, but the largest beluga fish reached a length of 7 meters and weighed more than one and a half tons.
  • When a fish gets ready to spawn, it tries to pick up perfect place, without discovering which, it may not spawn at all.
  • When starting to spawn, the beluga breaks the bottom and lays eggs surrounded large quantity driftwood and reeds.
  • It produces up to a million eggs, which are extremely prized by hobbyists from all over the world.

Biological features

Beluga can be divided into two main varieties:

  • winter:
  • spring

This fish leads an exclusively bottom-pelagic lifestyle.

At sea it stays mostly alone. The period of sexual maturity occurs in males at 12-15 years, and in females - at 16-18 years, it must be remembered that since beluga is a long-lived fish, individuals whose age exceeds 50-60 years completely lose ability to reproduce offspring.

Beluga, which is bred in captivity, reproduces through artificial insemination. In addition, thanks to this method, it was possible to develop the majority of beluga hybrids grown in fisheries.

Hello everyone! Today we’ll talk about a fish like Beluga. This is not an ordinary fish. This fish is on the verge of extinction. Why fish because it reaches very large sizes in height and weight, and can also live about a hundred years. It can also be called a sad fish because of its appearance. Well, now let's talk about everything in order.

Beluga is a member of the sturgeon family. He does not have a permanent place of residence and is therefore considered semi-passing. Spawns in rivers and lives in seas and rivers. Why can’t it be called a sea or freshwater fish?

The fact is that large individuals switch to seafood only when there is not enough food for them in the rivers. Up to a certain size, it can live calmly in rivers and creeks, but when food begins to be scarce, it switches to marine inhabitants. The diet includes herring, gobies, sprat, in a word, a predator. In rivers they eat everything they can catch, from roach to crucian carp. The Black, Azov, and Caspian Seas are where the beluga lives.

What is the largest beluga ever caught?

As for size, the largest Beluga, according to unconfirmed data, weighed over two tons and was approximately nine meters long. If the information can be confirmed, then the beluga can easily be considered the largest freshwater fish on the planet.

There is also accurate data on fish already caught. So in 1827, the weight of fish caught in the lower reaches of the Volga River was one and a half tons, 1500 kg. There in the Volga in 1922 the catch amounted to 75 pounds, which by our standards is about 1224 kg. The head weighed 146 kg, and the caviar was almost 259 kg. It’s not even possible to imagine, with a catch like this, the whole village can be provided with meat and still have some left over.

IN current time Such giants are practically not caught, although here is an example relatively not so long ago, but already in the last century in 1970, a beluga weighing 1000 kg was caught; almost 100 kg of caviar was caught. Because of delicious meat and of great weight it was caught on an industrial scale. The average fishing weight is 50-70 kg.

Beluga is a long-living freshwater fish

Beluga is a long-living fish and can live 100 years. It can spawn many times, unlike its fellow Pacific salmon, which spawn only once in their entire lives and die after spawning.

When fully ready to reproduce, these giants become almost like humans. Well, judge for yourself, males mature at 15-18 years, and females not earlier than at 16-27 years. The average number of eggs scooped in is considered to be about 715 thousand eggs. The fertility of the beluga depends on the size of the female, as well as on the habitat. For the Volga beluga, this number ranges from 500 thousand to a million, and the Kurinsky ones of the same size produce 640 thousand eggs. It all depends on the habitat and living conditions.

The most expensive caviar is beluga

As for the caviar itself. Beluga eggs are quite large, 1.4-2.5 mm. The weight of the eggs is almost half the weight of the female. It has a pleasant delicate nutty flavor.

Dark gray, brilliant color, strong smell, all this made the caviar so tasty that on the black market in Russia, a buyer is ready to pay about 620 euros per kg for such a product without haggling. Abroad, beluga caviar can fetch approximately 7,000 euros. This price is based on taste qualities of this caviar and because in Russia officially you cannot buy or sell beluga caviar anywhere. All transactions take place under a black flag.

Today in Russia there is a ban on beluga fishing, as it is on the verge of extinction. Beluga is also listed in the Red Book. It is quite a risky business to catch beluga. Because the deadlines are huge.

Taste qualities of beluga meat

Beluga meat, unlike other sturgeon breeds, is not fatty and has a very small percentage of fat content. But despite the fact that in tsarist times there were much more belugas than now, only tsars, princes and boyars could taste its delicious meat. As you can see, even then they understood meat, and considered beluga meat to be something unusual and wonderful.

What secrets and beliefs is Beluga surrounded by?

But it was not only meat and caviar that beluga was valuable in those distant times. For example, almost every fisherman believed in the miraculous properties of beluga stone. With the help of this miracle stone you can heal people and entire villages. It was also believed that such an amulet brings happiness and a good catch to those who possess this stone.

It was flat and oval in shape, and measured about chicken egg. It could be obtained from the kidneys of large belugas. It could also be sold at a very high price or exchanged for something expensive. But these rumors were never confirmed. But as they say, such stones took place, most likely they were high-quality fakes of skilled craftsmen. There are still those who still believe in the miraculous properties of this stone, and in the fact that such a stone actually exists.

But the beluga's secrets don't end there.

Many fishermen were of the same opinion that the beluga is very poisonous fish. This belief also has not been confirmed. But the fishermen were sure that such fish could get rabies like a dog or cat. There was also an opinion that beluga liver is poisonous. But no matter what our ancestors believed, many are still inclined to believe that all these rumors were spread by the nobility.

So that common people do not eat meat and do not catch beluga for use. It is possible that thanks to these rumors, in the past the beluga could grow up to 2 tons in weight and 9 meters in length.

Beluga (lat. Huso huso), kyrpa (Tat., in Kazan); Hansen (German); wiz, wyz (Polish); morun (Romanian). - fish of the sturgeon family (Acipenseridae).

The species is included in the IUCN Red List.

Signs. The gill membranes are fused together and form a free fold under the intergill space. The snout is short, pointed, soft on top and on the sides, since a significant part is not covered by scutes. The mouth is large, semilunar, and does not extend to the sides of the head.

The lower lip is broken. The antennae are laterally flattened and each is equipped with a leaf-like appendage. There are 11-14 dorsal bugs, 41-52 lateral bugs, 9-11 abdominal bugs.

Of the dorsal bugs, the first is the smallest. The body between the bugs is covered with bone grains. Gill rakers 24. D 62-73; A 28-41.

Related forms. The closest is Kaluga (Cupid), which has the largest of the dorsal bugs, a larger mouth, and no appendages on the antennae.

Spreading. Caspian, Black, Azov and Adriatic Sea, from where the beluga enters the rivers to spawn.

In Russia, in addition to the typical Caspian-Volga form, the Black Sea and Azov subspecies of beluga are also distinguished. The Black Sea form is represented by two herds - western (Dnieper - Danube) and eastern (Caucasus rivers), the Caspian form - by the northern herd (Volga - Ural) and southern (Kura).

Beluga caught in the Volga weighing about 1000 kg and 4.17 m long (National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan)

BELUGA BIOLOGY

Characteristic. Migratory fish; moves alone and gathers in flocks only for the winter. Usually leads a pelagic lifestyle, but in some areas it stays near the bottom during fattening.

Spawning. In the Volga and Urals, spawning occurs in May - June; in Don - in May; in the Danube - from late April to June. Spawning sites are located in the middle Volga: floodplains of the Balykleysky district, near Akatovka and near Peskovatka, near the village of Akhmat, below Saratov, Khvalynsk region, Tetyush. In the Urals, spawning grounds are available both in the lower reaches and in the middle reaches.

Spawning occurs in deep holes (up to 40 m) near islands with stones and woody driftwood, on rocky ridges or pebble deposits with a fast current at a water temperature of 8-15°.

Fecundity, depending on the size of the female, is from 0.5 to 5 million eggs.

Development. Caviar is bottom-based, sticking. The fry appear in the Volga delta in June; at this time they reach a length of 1.5-2.4 cm. The fry roll up quickly and scatteredly, only a few linger in the river.

The ramp lasts until late autumn. At the age of 20-30 days, the fry reach a length of 3.7-7 cm, by September - 22.5-36.4 cm, by the end of the year - 39 cm and a weight of 22.5 g.

Height. Beluga lives a long time and reaches enormous sizes. At the age of 75, she reaches a length of 4.2 m and weighs over 1000 kg. Maximum dimensions beluga: weight 1300 kg with a length of up to 9 m (weight up to 2000 kg is noted).

The Kura beluga grows slower than the Volga beluga. Males mature at 12-14 years, females at 16-18 years with a length of 200 cm and a weight of 80 kg (Azov Sea).

In commercial catches of 1936-1938. Beluga prevailed in the following average sizes: in the lower reaches of the Volga 200-217 cm (entire length), in the northern Caspian 187-201 cm with a weight of 44.4-63.2 kg, in the middle and southern Caspian 166-181 cm with a weight of 34.5 -42.4 kg; in the Sea of ​​Azov average weight males in 1931-1934 was 69.7-80.2 kg, females 167.6-177.8 kg.

Nutrition. The larvae and fry that roll down the river feed on gammarids and mysids; in the sea, from the second year of life, they switch to feeding on shrimp (Crangon, Leander), mollusks (Didacna, Cardium, Mytilus, Mytilaster, Dreissena) and mainly fish, both bottom-dwelling (gobies, redfish) and pelagic (roach, herring, sprat, anchovy).

In the Black Sea in winter, fish (Whiting, Kalkan, Sultana, Smarida, Gobies) make up over 83% of the beluga's food, crustaceans (Crangon) - about 11%, mollusks (Modiola) - 4%. In the river, beluga feeds on sterlet, pike perch and cyprinids.

Competitors. In the sea - partly sturgeon and stellate sturgeon; in the river - pike perch, asp, pike.

Enemies. Beluga fry are eaten by catfish.

Migrations. Beluga rises to spawn in rivers, reaching in the Danube up to Pressburg (formerly above Passau), in the Dniester up to Mogilev-Podolsky, in the Bug up to Voznesensk, in the Dnieper up to the Dneproges (previously it rose above Kyiv and entered the Desna and Sozh), in Rione to Kutaisi; from the Sea of ​​Azov it rises along the Don to Pavlovsk, along the Kuban to the village of Ladozhskaya.

From the Caspian Sea, the majority of beluga enters the Volga, partially reaching the upper sections of the Volga-Kama basin (formerly to the mouth of the Shosha River, and along the Kama to the Vishera River); a few belugas enter the Kura and the Urals (up to Chkalov), single specimens go to the Terek to Mozdok and to Sefidrud to Kissim.

The beluga migration is observed in spring and autumn: in the Volga from February to April (mainly in March) and from August to November (mainly in September - October); in the Urals - from March to June (mainly in April - May) and from August to November. Beluga travels to the Don from March to December, and to the Danube from March.

Spring run fish spawn the year they enter the river. Individuals of the summer-autumn run spend the winter in the river in pits, spending two to three years in the river before spawning; The number of beluga wintering in the river is insignificant; wintering places are mainly located in the sea at a depth of 6-12 m. At sea wintering grounds, the beluga makes small movements, and stops in pits in the river.

After spawning, the beluga quickly slides into the sea; in the Black Sea in winter it stays at depths of up to 160 m.

BELUGA FISHING

Meaning. Total beluga catch in 1936-1937 was about 82 thousand centners per year, including about 63 thousand centners in the Caspian Sea, 13 thousand centners in the Azov Sea and 7.2 thousand centners in the Black Sea.

Beluga catch in Russia in 1936-1937. was about 76 thousand c per year.

Romanian catches in the Danube waters yielded up to 8 thousand centners (usually 6-7 thousand centners, in 1936-1937 - 4.8 thousand centners). Iran's catches in the southern Caspian Sea usually do not exceed 1.3 thousand cwt.

In the CIS, the Caspian Sea is of primary importance for fishing, where in the period 1936-1938. catches ranged from 40 to 63 thousand cwt. Most Beluga is caught in the southern Caspian Sea. In the Sea of ​​Azov in the period 1936-1938. 5.4-18.1 thousand cwt were mined. In the Black Sea, 1.8-2.9 thousand quintals were mined.

Caviar is obtained from 4 to 20% of the weight of females.

Technology and progress of the fishery. Main fishing gear: ahans and hook and line tackle. Beluga is caught both in the river (going to spawn) and in the sea (barren and immature).

In the Volga, the main fishing is in the lower reaches in April and September - November; near Enotaevsk - in March, August and October; in the middle Volga (Syzran, Ulyanovsk, Kazan) - in April, partly in November; in Kama - in April and August.

Usage. Beluga meat and caviar are distinguished by high nutritional qualities. Meat, caviar, entrails, skin, and heads are used. All caught beluga is prepared chilled and frozen.

It is delivered to consumers frozen or sold in the form of canned food (natural and in tomato sauce), dried and smoked balyk products (teshi, bokovniki), culinary products (boiled, jellied in jelly, fried beluga) and, in small quantities, smoked (hot smoked) .

Beluga caviar, processed granularly and packaged in special tins, is a high-quality fish product.

Caviar is also prepared using the so-called barrel grain processing.

During pressed processing, beluga caviar is mixed with sturgeon or stellate sturgeon.

From the notochord (“dorsal string”) of the beluga they prepare valuable food product, known as vyazigi.

The dried swim bladder is used to make beluga glue, which is used to clarify wines and is also used for technical purposes.

Beluga entrails (stomach, intestines and connective tissues yastyka - “punches”, but not liver) are consumed fresh at the harvest sites.

Beluga skin can be used after appropriate processing as a half-shaft and sole product for women's and children's shoes.