The Syr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi), or Syr Darya shovelnose sturgeon,[1] is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where it is endemic to the Syr Darya River and, before its drainage, the Aral Sea. Due to the loss of its breeding site and damming projects over the length of the river, it is currently considered Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), as no sightings have been reported since the 1960s.[1] The sturgeon is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.[5]
The Syr Darya sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi), or Syr Darya shovelnose sturgeon, is a species of fish in the family Acipenseridae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, where it is endemic to the Syr Darya River and, before its drainage, the Aral Sea. Due to the loss of its breeding site and damming projects over the length of the river, it is currently considered Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct), as no sightings have been reported since the 1960s. The sturgeon is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.
Syr Darya sturgeon depicted on a postage stamp from Tajikistan
