Rare Atlantic Sturgeon washes up on Assateague Island

An Atlantic Sturgeon washed up on Assateague Island, a relic dating back to Jamestown and even the prehistoric times of dinosaurs. FOX 5's Gwen Tolbart spoke with the man who made the discovery.

An Atlantic Sturgeon washed up on Assateague Island, a relic dating back to Jamestown and even the prehistoric times of dinosaurs.

Naturalist Photographer, Allen Sklar, has been studying Assateague Island for the last twenty-seven years and says Atlantic Sturgeon are very rare. This is the second time he has found one. They are also known for producing high quality caviar.

This fish may look large at 37 inches, but it is small in comparison to the 160-pound creatures that researchers have found in the rivers and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.

According to NOAA Fisheries some varieties such as the White sturgeon, can even weigh over a thousand pounds in other parts of the world, and live up to one hundred years.

PHOTO: Allen Sklar

Since the sturgeon is an endangered species, Sklar says it is illegal to possess the sturgeon, fish for it or do anything with it, even when it's dead.

Click here to learn more about the sturgeon from NOAA Fisheries.

You can see more of Allen Sklar's Assateague photos by visiting this website.