The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) is a small and endangered species of North American sturgeon. The earliest remains of the species are from the Late Cretaceous Period, over 70 million years ago. Shortnose sturgeons are long-lived and slow to sexually mature. Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders, which means they migrate upstream to spawn but spend most of their lives feeding in rivers, deltas and estuaries. The shortnose sturgeon is often mistaken as a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon, because of their small size. Prior to 1973, U.S. commercial fishing records did not differentiate between the two species, both were reported as "common sturgeon", although it is believed based on sizes that the bulk of the catch was Atlantic sturgeon. The shortnose is distinguishable from the Atlantic sturgeon due to its shorter and rounder head. Conservation status The history of the shortnose sturgeon exploitation goes back 4,000 years. Native American fishermen harvested shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon for their meat and eggs. This continued with the Jamestown settlers in 1607 who utilized sturgeon as the primary food source for survival. Profitable fishery business using shortnose sturgeon began to grow in the 1800s leading to a rapid decline of the species population and distribution. By the late-1800s, sturgeon were being over-exploited. In 1890, over 7 million pounds of sturgeon were harvested in 1 year and as a result, in 1920, only 23,000 pounds of sturgeon were caught. Today, the shortnose sturgeon is in danger of extinction throughout its range and was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act on March 11, 1967. Shortnose sturgeon are protected in accordance with Section 1(c) of the Endangered Species Preservation Act of October 15, 1966 (80 Stat. 926: 16 U.S.C. 668aa(c)) after consulting the States, interested organizations and individual scientists, and finding that it was threatened with extinction. The IUCN has listed the shortnose sturgeon as a vulnerable species in 2004 with increasing action plans needed. NatureServe similarly lists the species as Vulnerable. Distribution Historically, shortnose sturgeon were found in the coastal rivers along the East Coast of North America. Living from the Saint John River in New Brunswick all the way to the Indian River in Florida. Currently, shortnose sturgeon can be found in 41 bays and rivers along the East Coast. Their distribution across this range is broken up, with a large gap of about 250 miles separating the northern and mid-Atlantic metapopulations from the southern