| Family: |
Acipenseridae (Sturgeons), subfamily: Scaphirhynchinae |
| Max. size: |
108 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 4,880.0 g; max. reported age: 43 years |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater, potamodromous |
| Distribution: |
North America: USA in Mississippi River basin from west Pennsylvania to Montana and south to Louisiana; Mobile Bay drainage, Alabama and Mississippi; upper Rio Grande, New Mexico. |
| Diagnosis: |
Bases of outer barbels in line with or ahead of inner barbels (Ref. 86798). |
| Biology: |
Occurs in the bottom of main channels and embayments of large turbid rivers; frequently in flowing water over sand and mixed with gravel and mud. Feeds primarily on larvae of aquatic insects (especially burrowing mayflies, caddis larvae and midge larvae (Ref. 10294)), worms, and crustaceans (Ref. 50937). Spawning occurs from April to June in large rivers in areas of swift current and coarse substrates (Ref. 10294). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 14 September 2019 (A2bce) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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