Sturgeons have cartilaginous skeletons with a persistent notochord, a protractile tube-like mouth, and sensory barbels on the underside of the snout. White sturgeons are large fishes with 11 to 14 dorsal, 36 to 48 lateral, and 9 to 12 ventral scutes (bony plates). They are smaller than ocean-going populations, and are gray in color.