Fossil found of first ‘royal’ sturgeon to have lived in Africa

The fish, valued for its roe which is eaten as caviar, was previously thought to have only lived in the cooler waters of the northern hemisphere.

A fossil of a sturgeon estimated to be more than 66 million years old is the first to be found in Africa. (University of Portsmouth/PA) (PA Media)

A fossil of a sturgeon estimated to be more than 66 million years old is the first to be found in Africa.

The sturgeon, declared a “royal fish” by King Edward II in 1324, was previously thought to have only lived in the cooler waters of the northern hemisphere, excluding Africa.

But now this specimen has been discovered in Morocco by University of Portsmouth palaeontologist Professor David Martill.