A very brief portion of my day was spent visiting three lake sturgeon. Beautifully ugly creatures, sturgeon can live up to 100 years.

Prehistoric, they can grow larger than a man and weigh up to 800 pounds. Once located within the United States throughout the Great Lakes, now the last major populations of lake sturgeon can only be found in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Sturgeon feed by suctioning up bottom dwelling organisms with rubbery, protruding lips. They extend their lips to vacuum up soft, live food which they swallow whole due to their lack of teeth. Near the lips the lake sturgeon have taste buds on and around their barbels (whisker like things).

Sturgeon have a low reproductive rate and usually do not begin to spawn until they are 15 to 25 years old.

Very similar to humans, these sturgeon.