One of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, sturgeon are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. Unlike many salmon species that spawn once and die, white sturgeon are capable of spawning many times throughout their life. Given their long life, they tend to grow slowly and are not ready to spawn until the females are over 18 years of age and males are at least 14 years of age.

William Sturgeon would have been 67 years old at the time of death or 232 years old today. William Sturgeon was born on May 22, 1783 and died on December 4, 1850. The lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), also known as the rock sturgeon, is a North American temperate freshwater fish, one of about 25 species of sturgeon.Like other sturgeons, this species is an evolutionarily ancient bottom feeder with a partly cartilaginous skeleton, an overall streamlined shape and skin bearing rows of bony plates on its sides and back, resembling an armored torpedo.

Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae.