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Kingdom: Animalia > Phylum: Chordata > Class: Actinopterygii > Order: Acipenseriformes > Family: Acipenseridae > Genus: Huso > Species: Huso huso

Beluga - Huso huso (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Quick facts

Threat status Europe	Critically Endangered (IUCN)
Protected by	EU Habitats Directive and 9 other international agreements
Most preferred habitats	rivers and lakes
Natura 2000 species code	2489

Distribution

The distribution map is currently disabled. A new map solution will soon become available. In the meantime, please consult other species distribution map providers listed in the Other resources panel below.

Threat and conservation status

IUCN Red List status of threatened species

The IUCN Red List threat status assesses the risk of extinction.

World

Critically Endangered

Europe

Critically Endangered

IUCN Red List Category

Not Evaluated	Near Threatened	Regionally Extinct
Not Applicable	Vulnerable	Extinct in the Wild
Data Deficient	Endangered	Extinct
Least Concern	Critically Endangered

Sources:

EU conservation status

Conservation status assesses every six years and for each biogeographical region the condition of habitats and species compared to the favourable status as described in the Habitats Directive. The map shows the 2013-2018 assessments as reported by EU Member State. Assessments are further detailed in the summary document available behind the link below.

Good: the species is viable and maintaining itself on a long-term basis, its natural range is not reduced, and it has a sufficient large habitat.
Poor: the species is not as critical as being unfavourable-bad, but still requires significant conservation and restoration measure to make it viable in the long-term, or to enlarged its current range, or to improve the quality and availability of its habitat.
Bad: the species is either not maintaining itself on a long-term basis and is not viable, or its natural range as been or is being drastically reduced, or its habitat is largely insufficient; the species requires major conservation and restoration measures.
Unknown: the information available for the species is scarce and does not allow a proper assessment of its conservation status.

Natura 2000 sites

Not available

Legal status

Mentioned in the following international legal instruments and agreements

Legal text	Annex	Conditions	More information
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - consolidated version 01/01/2007 (EU Habitats Directive)	Annex V: animal and plant species of community interest whose taking in the wild and exploitation may be subject to management measures. (All species of Acipenseridae not mentioned in Annex IV)		http://ec.europa.eu/environm...rective/index_en.htm
Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention)	Annex II: strictly protected fauna species	In the Mediterranean	http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cul.../bern/default_en.asp
	Annex III: protected fauna species
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. (Bonn Convention)	Annex II: migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international co-operation that could be achieved by an international agreement.	Synonym for this species is listed in Appendix II of the Bonn Convention (CMS). See there for more details.	http://www.cms.int/
	Annex II: migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international co-operation that could be achieved by an international agreement.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)	Annex II: (a) all species which, although not necessarily now threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival; and (b) other species which must be subject to regulation in order that trade in specimens of certain species referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph may be brought under effective control.	Synonym for this species is listed in CITES. See there for more details.	http://www.cites.org/eng
	Annex II: (a) all species which, although not necessarily now threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival; and (b) other species which must be subject to regulation in order that trade in specimens of certain species referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph may be brought under effective control.
Commission regulation (EU) No 1320/2014, of 1 December 2014, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (EU regulation of trade of fauna and flora)	Annex B includes: All other CITES Appendix II species, except where EU Member States have entered a reservation; Some CITES Appendix III species * Some non-CITES species		http://ec.europa.eu/environm...s/legislation_en.htm
Barcelona Convention Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol)	Annex II: Endangered or threatened species that the Parties shall manage with the aim of maintaining them in a favourable state of conservation. They shall ensure their maximum possible protection and recovery.	Synonym for this species is listed in Appendix II of the Barcelona Convention Protocol. See there for more details.	http://rac-spa.org/protocol http://rac-spa.org/sites/def...sion_ig_19_12_en.pdf
	Annex II: Endangered or threatened species that the Parties shall manage with the aim of maintaining them in a favourable state of conservation. They shall ensure their maximum possible protection and recovery.		http://rac-spa.org/protocol http://rac-spa.org/sites/def...sion_ig_19_12_en.pdf

Common names and synonyms

Common Name	Language	Reference
Akipíssios	Greek	Fishbase
Beluga	English	Fishbase
Beluga	Finnish	Fishbase
Beluga	French	Fishbase
Beluga	Russian	Fishbase
Beluga	Slovenian	Fishbase
Beluga	Spanish	Fishbase
Belugastör	Swedish	Fishbase
Belugastør	Norwegian	Fishbase
Bieluga z. wyz	Polish	Fishbase
Bli turishkurte	Albanian	Fishbase
Bli turishkurter	Albanian	Fishbase
Esturión	Spanish	Fishbase
Esturión beluga	Spanish	Fishbase
Esturjâo do Cáspio	Portuguese	Fishbase
Esturjão-beluga	Portuguese	Fishbase
Europäischer Hausen	German	Fishbase
European Sturgeon	English	Fishbase
Giant Sturgeon	English	Fishbase
Grand esturgeon	French	Fishbase
Great Sturgeon	English	Fishbase
Hausen	German	Fishbase
Hausenblase	German	Fishbase
Hus	Swedish	Fishbase
Husblosstör	Swedish	Fishbase
Husso	German	Fishbase
Kitasampi	Finnish	Fishbase
Mersin morinasi	Turkish	Fishbase
Mersinmorinasi	Turkish	Fishbase
Mersinmorinasi baligi	Turkish	Fishbase
Mjaldur	Icelandic	Fishbase
Mocuna	Greek	Fishbase
Morun	Romanian	Fishbase
Moruna	Bulgarian	Fishbase
Moruna	Serbian	Fishbase
Russian sturgeon	English	Fishbase
Rysk kaviar	Swedish	Fishbase
Selvike uimarakosta	Finnish	Fishbase
Storione ladando	Italian	Fishbase
Sundmaga hlaup	Icelandic	Fishbase
Visgelatine	Dutch	Fishbase
Viza	Hungarian	Fishbase
Wiz	Polish	Fishbase

Synonym	Author
Acipenser huso	Linnaeus, 1758
Huso ichthyocolla	Bonaparte, 1846
Acipenser vallisneri	Molin, 1853
Huso huso maeoticus	Salnikov & Malyatskii, 1934
Huso huso ponticus	Salnikov & Malyatskii, 1934
Huso huso caspicus	Babushkin, 1942
Acipenser beluga	Forster, 1767
Acipenser albula	Forster, 1767
Acipenser shyp	Forster, 1767
Huso vallisnerii	Molin, 1853
Acipenser schypa	Gmelin, 1788
Huso huso orientalis	Lelek, 1987
Acipenser schypa	Bonnaterre, 1788
All species of Acipenseridae not mentioned in Annex IV

Other resources

CoL (accepted name)	Catalogue of Life
Fauna Europaea	Fauna Europaea
FishBase	FishBase
GBIF	Global Biodiversity Information Facility
ITIS (Valid name)	Interagency Taxonomic Information System
NCBI search	National Center for Biotechnology Information
NOBANIS: Huso huso	European Network on Invasive Alien Species
PESI (Accepted)	Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure
Species+	Species+ by UNEP-WCMC
Wikipedia	Wikipedia
WoRMS	World Register of Marine Species

External data

Reportnet deliveries

Files delivered through Reportnet with relevance to this species.

2 items found, displaying all items.1

Released	Coverage	Envelope	File
2014-01-04	Romania	RO Art.17 2007-2012 Report from 31 December 2013	RO_species_reports.xml
2013-12-27	Bulgaria	BG_habitats_report_2007-2012	Species reports

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