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Fish in Germany
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European Sea Sturgeon

European Sea Sturgeon

Acipenser sturio

DE: Stör

0 · Extinct or missing
Maximum Size
350 cm
Waters
0

Distinguishing Features

Shark-like body, five longitudinal rows of bony plates, inferior mouth with barbels, heterocercal tail fin.

Habitat

Sea, ascending large rivers to spawn (anadromous), today extremely rare in Germany.

Red List Germany

0 · Extinct or missing

No longer occurs in the wild in Germany, or has not been found for a long time.

Red List of freshwater fish:
Freyhof et al. 2023 · Rote-Liste-Zentrum
IUCN global:
CR · Critically Endangered

Fishing rules by federal state

Can I keep it?
Federal state Minimum size Closed season Notes
Brandenburg Protected year-round

Not yet researched here — see the ordinance of: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia

Statewide rules for anglers as of 24 Oct 2026, without guarantee. Clubs and waters can set stricter rules; the ordinance text is binding.

Waters

Baden-Württemberg Bavaria Berlin Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Lower Saxony North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia Donau Oder Main Mosel Neckar Havel Spree Saale Isar Inn Finowkanal Oder-Havel-Kanal Main-Donau-Kanal Mittellandkanal Bodensee Chiemsee Ammersee Starnberger See Müritz Steinhuder Meer Scharmützelsee Schwielochsee Senftenberger See Rhein Elbe Weser Ems

Map: Natural Earth (public domain); © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Historically present (extinct)

Elbe Rhein Weser Ems

Expected in these federal states

Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein

Expected occurrence, modelled from each water's fish zones, habitat type and the federal states the species lives in, and checked against GBIF records — not a record of observations.