Atlantic sturgeon

noun

: a sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) occurring along the Atlantic coast of North America that is bluish-black or olive-brown above with a white belly and a long, V-shaped snout

The Atlantic sturgeon, an almost reptilian creature that can reach 12 feet and weigh 800 pounds, was once caught in the [Hudson] river in such large numbers that it was nicknamed "Albany beef."

—Robert Worth, New York Times, 20 May 2001

Note: The Atlantic sturgeon ascends large rivers to spawn but spends most of its life in relatively shallow, coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Word History

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

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