Long-Term Dynamics of Sturgeon Distribution in the Northern Partof the Caspian Sea (Review)
During the past half century period habitat conditions and distribution of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea have significantly changed. The most long-term records of sturgeon distribution are obtained for the northern part of the sea, which is extremely important for foraging of these species. In the review changes in the distribution of the beluga Huso huso L., 1758, Russian sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Brandt, 1833 and stellate sturgeon Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771 in the northern part of the sea from 1970 until 2014 and biotic and abiotic factors of these changes are summarized and analyzed. The effect of the sea level fluctuations, biomass of food organisms, and total abundance of the fish species under study on their distribution is demonstrated.