(Stellate or Long Muzzle Sturgeon (Sevruga

Stellate or long nose sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) is introduced by the Russian name of dracul and sevruga and Iranian name “uzun-burun” means tall muzzle. Its elongated and slender muzzle, with an average of 62 percent of the head’s length, which easily distinguishes it from other sturgeon species.
Its Latin name (Stellatus) means covered with moles as well as stellate bony plates. The lateral bony plates (scutes) are smaller and 30 to 40 in number. Its body is slender and has a light grayish brown color. Its back is dark and its belly is white. The sensory mustaches are shorter and have no ciliary divisions.
Stellate is anadromous, meaning it migrates from salt water to freshwater for spawning. The Caspian Sea has two races of the north and south. Its southern breed, which lives in Iranian waters, matures later than the northern breed and its growth and collection is less than that of the northern breed. It mainly lives in the southwestern part of the Caspian Sea up to a depth of 60 meters.

According to Berg (1948), in South Caspian Uzun-burun, males mature at the age of 11-13 and females at the age of 14-17. The largest stellate caught in Iranian waters weighed 54 kg with 218 cm length. (Of course, the averages are different in different years and in different ecosystems). There is always a higher percentage of females than males, for example in 1998 females were 75.8% and males were 24.2%.
One of the benefits of starry sturgeon compared to other sturgeon species is its shorter lifetime, resulting in a shorter maturity and a faster reproductive rate. It grows in the breeding environment at the age of 5 to 6 years, at an average weight of 9 to 12 kg and a size of about 120 cm and the ratio caviar to meat in this fish reaches 12 to 18 percent.

Stellate sturgeon which is one of the most important and valuable species of the Caspian Sea, has a considerable popularity at home and even abroad, as most Iranians know all the sturgeon types as uzun-burun in the markets. Its meat exports are in high demand and countries including Russia are serious buyers of this type of sturgeon.
starry meat has the best quality among the Caspian sturgeons and its caviar, although cheaper and smaller, if properly processed after one month after storage, tastes the best.

Statistical variables show that A. stellatus breeding has had a significant effect on increasing marine reserves and preventing its extinction in addition to meeting domestic and foreign needs. Many farms have now incorporated this species in their breeding program.
The Lazir Agro-Industrial Complex is also currently pursuing large-scale starry sturgeon or uzun-burun-based sturgeon fisheries in large numbers of approximately 35000. We hope that in the next 30 months we will be able to export more than 20 tons of sevruga caviar to domestic and foreign markets. In addition, the supply of 300 tons of this species is not out of reach.