- Adults mainly feed on mollusks, polychaetes, shrimps, and small fish.
- It is a suitable host for the parasitic larvae of the giant freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera auricularia).
- It can grow to over 300 kg.
- It is an anadromous fish, migrating from sea to freshwaters to spawn.
- It was once a common species throughout Europe including North Sea, European coasts of Atlantic Ocean, northern Mediterranean, and Black Sea and major rivers entering them.
- Age at maturity is 13-15 years for males and 16-20 years for females.
- Captive brood stocks have been established to support the wild population by releasing juveniles into the wild.
- A European Action Plan for the conservation of the species has been adopted under the Bern Convention in 2007. Recovery measures have been planned and implemented in several European countries, including France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
- It is assessed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
It can grow to over 5 m. Natural population is currently restricted to the Gironde estuary and its tributaries (France). Its lifespan is estimated to be about 100 years. The last known natural reproduction was observed in 1994.
Adults mainly feed on mollusks, polychaetes, shrimps, and small fish. It is a suitable host for the parasitic larvae of the giant freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera auricularia). It is an anadromous fish, migrating from sea to freshwaters to spawn.
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