Release of General the Sturgeon
General, while on display in the “Survivors: Up Close with Living Fossils” exhibit at the Museum of the Earth.
Last updated: August 8, 2020
In February 2019, the wildly popular exhibit: “Survivors: Up Close with Living Fossils” came to the Museum of the Earth. With this exhibit the Animal Department staff acquired a Lake Sturgeon from the New York Department of Conservation hatchery. This Lake Sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, was raised at Bath Hatchery in New York. After his arrival at the Museum of the Earth, he was quickly nicknamed General.
Lake sturgeon are an endangered species. They are native to most of northeastern North America. They were abundant in the Great Lakes and surrounding waters until the early 20th century when over harvest and habitat degradation reduced their populations. It is possible the species wasn’t present in Cayuga Lake until after European arrival. The earliest published report of lake sturgeon in the Finger Lakes was in 1856. The last report was in 1961 prior to recent stocking efforts that begin in1995. Three years ago, lake sturgeon were seen spawning in Fall Creek!
Because lake sturgeon are endangered, there are specific requirements that the New York Department of Conservation places on educational facilities that handle and keep these animals. The most important of these being that all of their equipment be new! For General this meant that he had a shiny new enclosure to enjoy during his time at the museum.
The “Survivors” exhibit came to a close in September 2019 and General made his move to the Cayuga Nature Center, the Museum’s sister venue. After more paperwork and careful transportation, he lived in our lobby alongside the Cayuga Lake Exhibit. He served as an animal ambassador there until it was time to be released into the lake. Although he is only one fish, we were happy to care for him until he was big enough to release into Cayuga Lake and join its population of lake sturgeon. We knew he was ready to go when he outgrew his current enclosure.
This summer, the Animal Department staff began planning a timeline for release. We sought out additional guidance from Dr. Eugene T. Won, who is a Senior Research Associate in Cornell University’s Department of Animal Science. With great expertise, Eugene located the perfect spot for release! The location was near the steep drop off on the East side of the lake. This way, General could easily travel to the depth with his preferred temperature. We also know that there have been sturgeon spotted nearby during the same time of year in the past.
After developing our “game plan,” we met on Tuesday, July 28th at 3pm at a private residence. This got us about a quarter mile closer to our release location. That doesn’t sound like much, but it was of huge help on a windy day!
I brought my stand-up paddle board for the job. The flat surface allowed for the easiest transportation of General’s travel container. We had originally planned to use his special cooler, but due to sizing, we found that a smaller tub was much easier to transport. This set a time limit on us so that he didn’t get too warm! We measured the temperature constantly with a portable temperature probe and provided an oxygen-rich environment with a transportable bubbler. After General was settled in, we strapped him down to the front of the board. The deck lining and a short bungee secured him in place. After he was secure, we got the rest of our gear ready and took off!
Left: General was transported to his release site in a small tub. Middle: The tub was attached to the front of the paddle board by Dayna Jorgenson (left, Director of Live Animals) and Katie B-Newman (right, Associate Director for Nature Center Programs). Right: Katie and General (left) and Dayna (right) head to the release site.
The paddle took only about 10 minutes, but in the small choppy waves it felt much longer! The weight of General’s container made the board a bit wobblier than I was used to! Once we reached the appropriate lake depth, we were ready. The release was simple. I scooped him up and he swam right into the lake!
At last, General made his way into Cayuga Lake! We’re hopeful that he’ll continue to grow and live for many years!