Question: I caught a couple of sturgeon recently that were golden around the edges of the fins. I called them "golden sturgeon" but have never heard of sturgeon being this color. They were 40-45 inches in length. Could they just be young white sturgeon, or are they something else?

Answer: According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Sturgeon Monitoring Program Manager Marty Gingras, California has only green and white sturgeon, and those species have never been hybridized. We've never seen or received reports of a white sturgeon that looked golden. A "golden sturgeon" is most likely a green sturgeon that appears a bit golden. Please remember that green sturgeon may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 5.81(b)).

To differentiate between green and white sturgeon, here are a few quick and easy tips:
Dorsal scutes (bony plates) - Greens have 1-2 dorsal scutes trailing the dorsal fin, but on white sturgeon they are absent

Vent - Greens have the vent between the pelvic fins, but on white sturgeon it's found toward the tail

Belly stripe - Present on greens but absent on white sturgeon.

Scutes along the side - Greens have 23-30 scutes while whites have 38-48

The first three characteristics above are most readily apparent and should help correctly identify the species. Sometimes the bluntness of the snout and location of barbels is mentioned, but these are variable and somewhat subjective.

You mentioned the fish you caught were 40-45 inches in length and you wondered if they were young. Unfortunately, not much is known about green sturgeon, but white sturgeon of that size are usually 10-15 years old, and quite likely have not yet spawned for the first time.

For more information on sturgeon, please visit www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Resources/Sturgeon/.