Ossetra genitive case form "осетра" (osetra, 'of sturgeon') of the Russian word "осётр" (osyotr 'sturgeon') from the phrase "икра осетра" (ikra osetra, 'caviar of sturgeon'). At one time, the term "ossetra" simply referred to Russian sturgeon species harvested for this type of caviar. In Russian, there are different names for the species of sturgeon that live in various territories such as "Beluga" ("Huso huso"), Sevruga ("Acipenser stellatus") and Sterlet ("Acipenser ruthenus"). The name Ossetra corresponds to the species "Acipenser gueldenstaedtii", which is much smaller than Beluga sturgeon ("Huso huso"), and has a firmer texture. In the territory of the Russian Federation
USS Sterlet (SS-392) On 30 November, the submarine returned to the Submarine Base at Pearl Harbor. Following almost two months in Hawaii, "Sterlet" embarked on her third war patrol on 25 January 1945. Her assigned area was off Honshū, Japan, particularly the area off Tokyo Bay, where she stood lifeguard duty for Fifth Fleet pilots attacking Tokyo. She made reconnaissance sweeps of the Japanese Fleet and patrolled with a "wolfpack" that also included , , , and . During this cruise, she made two torpedo attacks, one each on 1 March and 5 March, and claimed two sinkings, a freighter and a tanker.