Rare, endangered prehistoric fish washes ashore in SC for 3rd time in 2 months. Here’s where
Another prehistoric visitor has washed ashore in Beaufort County, marking at least the third Atlantic sturgeon sighting in the area in recent months.
On Sunday, Jan. 11, Fripp Island resident Pete Sload was taking an afternoon walk along the beach when he discovered the rare fish washed up on the shoreline. Sload reported the find to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and a staff member arrived the following day to retrieve the sturgeon.
Ellen Waldrop, a biologist with SCDNR’s Diadromous Fishes Program, previously told The Island Packet that once the fish is collected, it will be measured, photographed and sampled before the agency submits a record to the National Marine Fisheries Service.
The Atlantic sturgeon is one of two species found in South Carolina waters, alongside the smaller shortnose sturgeon. Both species are federally protected, making it illegal to harm or keep them. Even a dead or stranded sturgeon must be reported.
Even though sturgeon sightings are few and far between, this is not the first time Beaufort County residents have recently encountered an Atlantic sturgeon.
Back in November, a juvenile one was found on Islanders Beach on Hilton Head Island, and another was spotted by residents on Melrose Beach on Daufuskie Island.
What to know about the modern dinosaur
Atlantic sturgeon are known for their impressive lifespan and size.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that sturgeons have a long fossil record, dating back 120 million years. Some even roamed the earth with dinosaurs 245 million years ago.
Adults can reach up to 14 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.
South Carolina’s populations tend to live anywhere from 25 to 30 years long and take five to 19 years to mature. These fish hatch in freshwater rivers, then spend much of their lives in coastal waters and return to their birthplace to spawn.
NOAA states that tagging data indicate that young Atlantic sturgeon travel widely up and down the East Coast.
The two types of sturgeons can appear similar, but Atlantic sturgeons can be distinguished by their larger size, smaller mouth, different snout shape and tail scute pattern.
About sturgeon populations
Sturgeon populations were once abundant, but their numbers have plummeted due to overfishing and habitat loss. During the late 1800s, in what’s sometimes known as the “Black Gold Rush,” sturgeon eggs were a prized find and fueled a booming caviar trade.
Today, all U.S. Atlantic sturgeon population segments are protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Sturgeons are bottom feeders, sifting through riverbeds and coastal shallows for crustaceans, worms, mollusks and bottom-dwelling fish.
Officials urge anyone who finds a dead or stranded sturgeon — or catches one accidentally — to report it to NOAA or the SCDNR.
Have you spotted any rare beach finds in South Carolina this winter? Share your photos and beach location to amiller@islandpacket.com.
