It can take 20 years for female lake sturgeon to reach sexual maturity—when they develop black eggs also coveted as caviar. Lake sturgeon are native to Georgia’s Coosa River system, and for generations it was the only place in the state home to the prehistoric fish. Thirty years after they disappeared, Georgia DNR began an ambitious project to return lake sturgeon to the Coosa River. There, they incubated and hatched the eggs, then released the fish into the Coosa River. Now, said Hamel, signs point to a more positive future for Northwest Georgia’s lake sturgeon population.

Source: Forbes August 12, 2022 09:23 UTC