France was once home to the Atlantic sturgeon, previously unknown on its territory
Monday, December 21, 2009 - 23:21
in Earth & Climate
Until now, only one species of sturgeon was known in France: the European sturgeon. Biologists have just shown, for the first time, that another species previously unknown in France used to be present in French waters: the Atlantic sturgeon. This species already existed in the French Atlantic region at the end of the Neolithic 5 000 years ago, and was still thriving 3 000 years later. Moreover, at that time European and Atlantic sturgeons co-existed at some sites. This discovery is of major importance for programs for the reintroduction of sturgeons into European rivers.