Picture Courtesy of NOAA

Gary's Seafood Specialties

"Famous By Word Of Mouth"

Florida Seafood

Catfish, Lake Okeechobee - Clams, Cedar Key - Cobia - Crabs, Florida Stone Crabs - Dolphin - Escolar - Flounder - Frog Legs - Golden Tile - Grouper, Black - Grouper, Red - Grouper, Scamp - Grouper, Snowy - Grouper, Wreck - Grouper, Yellow Edge - Kingfish - Lobster, Spiny Lobster - Mahimahi - Pompano - Sheephead - Shrimp, Head On, Fresh - Shrimp, Rock Shrimp - Snapper, Atlantic Lane - Snapper, Beeliner - Snapper, Brazilian - Snapper, Dog - Snapper, Genuine American Red - Snapper, Hog - Snapper, Mangrove - Snapper, Margate - Snapper, Mutton - Snapper, Porgy - Snapper, Yelloweye - Snapper, Yellow Tail - Sturgeon, Mote Marine Aquarium - Swordfish - Tuna, Albacore - Tuna, Bluefin - Tuna, Yellowfin - Trigger Fish - Tripletail - Wahoo

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(Everything is subject to government regulations and weather)

Sturgeon

Existing only in the cold waters of the Northern Hemisphere, Sturgeon is one of the oldest fish on the planet. They swam the oceans when dinosaurs roamed the earth. One look at a sturgeon and you can see how truly ancient these creatures are.

There are 20 species of Sturgeon that inhabit freshwater lakes and brackish waters of the Earth. 7 are “ New World” species, and 13 are “ Old World” species, however, it is not uncommon for them to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Sturgeon are probably best known for their caviar, and for this reason, they are in danger of becoming extinct. There are 4 species where caviar comes from which include: Beluga (Huso Huso), Osetra (Acipenser Gueldenstaedti), Sevruga (Acipenser Stellatus) and Ship (Acipenser Nudiventris). These four species live in the Caspian Sea and border Iran, and the nations of the former Soviet Union. Strict laws governing the harvesting of caviar have been implemented, but there is still a large black market for the caviar. Sadly, once the caviar is harvested, the fish are discarded.

The Shovelnose Sturgeon, which is found in the Mississippi River, has become important caviar in The United States.

There are projects underway to farm raise sturgeon. Mote Marine Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida started a program in the late 1990’s, and had begun to sell the fish. Unfortunately, it takes about 6 years before fish are old enough to be harvested. Sadly, in July of 2006, a massive fire destroyed the fish farm, killing thousands of sturgeon. It is unknown at this time what Mote’s plans are for the future. Farm raising sturgeon is very expensive, due in large part for their slow growth and the amount of care that goes into raising the fish. Mote was raising Siberian Sturgeon.

Sturgeons are bottom feeders, and live on a diet of crustaceans and other small fish. They can be found in lakes and rivers of Southern Russia and North America. Although rare, sturgeon can live as long as 200 years. Most Sturgeon that are harvested are 8-11’ in length. Sturgeons have no bones.

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