Biological peculiarities of the industrially bred juvenile Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii (Acipenseridae, Acipenseriformes) in the Don

We discuss results of the investigation into biological peculiarities of the juvenile Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) from the Aksay-Don Sturgeon Hatchery living in a natural riverine environment and migrating seaward. We supply data on the growth rate, geographic distribution, behavior and the feeding manner of the juvenile Russian sturgeon in the Don. We have estimated the survival rate of the industrially bred juvenile Russian sturgeon living in a natural environment. Apart from the nutritive base in the river and the predation pressure, we found that ecologically and physiologically determined biological characteristics mostly influence the survival rate in the juvenile Russian sturgeon released into the Don. The findings allow estimation of artificial propagation of the Russian sturgeon in the Azov Sea basin.