Scaphirhynchus albus
Pallid Sturgeon
Federal:
Endangered
NS
G2
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and Paddlefishes)
Acipenseridae (Sturgeons)
Scaphirhynchus
Scaphirhynchus albus (Pallid Sturgeon)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (Carpenter, K.E. (ed.) 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
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Characters
Body shape: elongated. Absence of scalelike scutes on belly; bases of outer barbels usually behind bases of inner barbels (Ref. 86798).
Distribution
Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. demersal. Found in: streams.
Biology
To 168 cm.
Adults inhabit large, deep, turbid river channels, usually in strong current over firm sand or gravel (Ref. 10294, 58490). They feed on aquatic insect immatures, particularly caddisfly larvae, and small fish (Ref. 10294). Threatened due to over harvesting and habitat loss (Ref. 58490). No length type given but assumed to be in TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (CR), assessed 2020-12-08. Resilience: Low (tm=5-15; Fec=170,000, tmax=41(based on 1 specimen only)).
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott (1991) Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (20):183 p.
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (1991) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p.
Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes (1993) The fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. (pls. check date).
Stone, R. (2007) The last of the leviathans. Science 316:1684-1688.
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (2011) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p.
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