7. Acipenser ruthenus Linnaeus, 1758

Common name. Sterlet sturgeon

Taxonomy. Original description: Acipenser ruthenus Linnaeus, 1758: 237 [Danube River; holotype: NRM 96] .

Revisions. Berg (1948: 70).

Illustrations. Kottelat & Freyhof (2007: 55, fig.).

Distribution in Iran. —Distribution in River Basin: Caspian Sea.—Distribution in Ecoregions: 434-Kura-South Caspian Drainages, 450-Turan Plain, 452-Caspian Marine.

Status in Iran. [Native].—Mahi-ye kaviar.—Reported from the middle and South Caspian Sea by Naseka and Bogutskaya (2009) but not confirmed by specimens for Iran by Esmaeili et al. (2017 a, 2018); Jouladeh-Roudbar et al. (2020); Eagderi et al. (2022).—Iran material: None.

Conservation. —IUCN: EN.