Siberian sturgeon

The Siberian sturgeon is a primitive, bottom-dwelling fish from the great cold rivers of Siberia, armoured with bony scutes and equipped with sensory barbels to detect prey on the substrate. It is emphatically a pond fish, not an aquarium species: it grows rapidly to a metre or more and lives for decades, requiring a large, well-oxygenated coldwater pond of thousands of litres with strong filtration, gentle current and open, obstacle-free bottom. It needs cool water (10-24C), tolerating brief warmth poorly, and suffers in temperatures above the mid-twenties. Feed a carnivorous diet of dedicated sinking sturgeon pellets rich in protein and fat, plus earthworms and other meaty foods; it cannot compete with fast surface feeders. Avoid sharp decor and floating plants that can trap it. A long-term commitment for experienced keepers only.