Transmontanus Caviar

This is the species name for the American White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) which is native to the West coast of the US from California, north as far as Alaska.

It is the White or Great White Sturgeon which is the US's main native caviar species. It is now being marketed under its Latin name, Transmontanus.

It is a voracious carnivor and can put on a lot of weight in its years out at sea. When they return into their natal rivers to seek out spawning grounds they have been caught at weights over a ton. There has been a large reduction in their population over the last century, this has been due to a mix of overfishing and the damming of key breeding rivers.

A number of restocking programs are underway, allowing for the repopulation of waters which no longer recieve migrating fish.

The river most famous for this fish, and where it can still be caught, is the Columbia River. The huge Bonnerville Dam has constrained the migration of these huge fish, but luckily there are some natural breeding habitats just below the dam. California, Oregon and Washinton States allow the sport fishing of the White Sturgeon, within certain seasons, most involve catch and release policies.

This species is being farmed in its native states such as California, and also in European countries such as Italy.