The natural population of Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) has been declared extinct; therefore, the species is sustained by artificial breeding. Nutritional challenges are a significant obstacle in current conservation efforts for A. dabryanus. The number of adult sturgeons available for breeding is limited each year, and gonadal development remains a critical issue. To investigate the effects of different feeds on the growth performance, hormone synthesis, and health status of juvenile Yangtze sturgeon, 90 juvenile sturgeons aged 4–6 years with an average weight of (8.46±1.64) kg were randomly assigned to five groups and fed with for one year with one of the following: compound feed, frozen fish, dried earthworm, mixed feed 1 (compound feed and frozen fish), or mixed feed 2 (compound feed and dried earthworm). The results showed that (1) the growth rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), and body length growth rate (LGR) of juvenile sturgeon fed with compound feed were significantly higher than those of the other groups (P＜0.05), while the growth indicators of juvenile sturgeon fed with mixed feeds were intermediate between the compound feed group and biological feed groups. (2) The serum E₂ levels of female juvenile sturgeon fed with frozen fish, mixed feed 1, and dried earthworm were significantly higher, while the serum T levels of male juvenile sturgeon in the dried earthworm group and both mixed feed groups were significantly elevated. Additionally, the serum lipid levels of juvenile sturgeon fed with frozen fish, dried earthworm, and mixed feeds were significantly higher (P＜0.05). (3) The serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) activities, and total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) levels in juvenile sturgeon fed with compound feed were significantly higher than those of the other groups (P＜0.05). (4) The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the serum of juvenile sturgeon fed with compound feed and mixed feed 2 were significantly higher than in other groups (P＜0.05). In contrast, mixed feed 1 resulted in significantly higher serum superoxide dismutase activity than the dried earthworm and mixed feed 2 groups. (5) The serum C3 levels of juvenile sturgeon fed with frozen fish and both mixed feeds were significantly higher than those of the compound feed and dried earthworm groups (P＜0.05). In comparison, the serum C4 levels were higher in the groups fed with compound feed, dried earthworm, and mixed feed 2. The results indicated that juvenile sturgeon fed with compound feed showed advantages in growth performance, protein absorption, and antioxidant capacity. In contrast, frozen fish, dried earthworm, and mixed feeds promoted hormone synthesis, lipid absorption, and liver health. Among them, the combination of compound feed and dried earthworm resulted in the best overall performance in hormone synthesis, liver health, antioxidant defense, and immune response. This study provides useful insights into the feeding strategies for artificially cultured juvenile Yangtze sturgeon and can inform the development of specialized feeds for sturgeon, drawing on the nutritional composition of frozen fish and dried earthworm and the metabolic characteristics of juvenile sturgeon. These findings have significant implications for the nutritional regulation strategies of candidate broodstock for the A. dabryanus and lay the foundation for the large-scale artificial propagation of this species.