Which freshwater fish is famous for producing caviar traditionally called beluga caviar?

The beluga sturgeon is the freshwater-linked fish famous for producing traditional beluga caviar.

Beluga sturgeon, Huso huso, is a large sturgeon native to the Caspian, Black, and Azov Sea basins. Adults migrate between marine waters and rivers to spawn, so the species is anadromous rather than exclusively freshwater. Its eggs are the source of the luxury product called beluga caviar.

The fish can grow to enormous size and may live for many decades. Females mature slowly, which makes populations especially vulnerable to overfishing. International trade in wild beluga sturgeon products has been heavily restricted under conservation agreements.

Beluga caviar should not be confused with caviar from the beluga whale, which is a mammal and has no connection to fish roe. It is also distinct from “beluga hybrid” farmed caviar, which comes from crosses involving other sturgeon species.