At record-setting sizes of more than 1,300 pounds and 13 feet long, White Sturgeon hold strong to their title of the largest freshwater fish in North America. Like salmon, white Sturgeon are anadromous, meaning they can thrive in freshwater and salt water conditions.

Instead of having scales, White Sturgeon have five rows of scutes, a sort of natural body armor of hard plates, covering their body.

White Sturgeon have small, beady eyes, making its natural vision limited. The animal mostly relies on its barbels, which are often described as “whiskers,” on the side of its mouth, which help them sense and feel out food. They use their proboscis mouth, which is akin to an elephant’s trunk, to help them suck food out of the sand.