Dinosaur Fish

We had an unexpected bonus on our rafting trip last weekend.  A friend was doing some fishing and caught a Sturgeon.  These crazy fish are prehistoric bottom-feeders, and they can live to be 100 years old, and up to 12 feet long!  They're not the prettiest creatures, but they sure are cool.

I was talked into "holding" him, which means you put your hand in his mouth and hold onto the lower lip which he wiggles and moves around a little.  He didn't feel any teeth.  As much as they struggle when they're reeled in, he didn't struggle at all as we admired him.  He just patiently waited for the show to be over so he could go back to the depths of the river.  These guys are strictly catch and release, so it probably wasn't his first rodeo.

Nicole even took a turn holding him.  She thought he was super cool.  His skin was surprisingly smooth, and he had these weird tentacles in front of his mouth that he uses to find food.

The whole family was thoroughly impressed to meet this crazy fish that has existed since the time of the dinosaurs.  Amazing!