Shovelnose sturgeon
The shovelnose sturgeon is the smallest sturgeon species in North America, typically measuring around three feet in length and weighing approximately 5.5 pounds. Its distinctive shovel-shaped snout allows it to stir the sediment on riverbeds while foraging for food, which primarily consists of smaller fish and invertebrates. Characterized by its long body covered in five rows of bony plates called scutes, the shovelnose sturgeon's coloration ranges from olive to yellowish-brown on top, with lighter sides and a white belly.
These fish inhabit large rivers with moderate currents, often found in areas with firm sand or gravel. During the spawning season in spring or summer, females release thousands of eggs, which adhere to vegetation and rocks, while males fertilize them. The eggs hatch in about five to eight days, and young sturgeons reach independence at around 6 to 7.75 inches. With a lifespan of up to 30 years in the wild and 70 years in captivity, the shovelnose sturgeon plays a significant role in its ecosystem. However, its population is currently declining, largely due to fishing pressures, despite being the most common sturgeon species in North America.
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Shovelnose sturgeon
The shovelnose sturgeon receives its name from the shape of its snout with which it stirs the mud and sand of the bottom as it looks for food. The name sturgeon itself means "stirrer." This is the smallest and most common of the members of the sturgeon family which live in North America.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acipenseriformes
Family: Acipenseridae
Genus: Scaphirhynchus
Species: Platorynchus
At only three feet (90 centimeters) long and 5 1/2 pounds (2 1/2 kilograms), the shovelnose sturgeon is the smallest sturgeon species in North America. Like most sturgeon, it has a long body with five rows of bony plates called scutes running its length. Their skin is olive to yellowish-brown above, lighter on the sides, and white below. Near the tip of its shovel-shaped snout are short spines. Hanging from its chin are the four sensitive feelers called barbels which help it detect food.
Large rivers with moderate currents running over firm sand or gravel are the most likely places to find the shovelnose sturgeon. It forages near the bottom for smaller fish and invertebrates, or animals without spines. Black, yellow, and brown bullheads prey on these sturgeon, along with catfish and burbots.
The female sturgeon swims to a particular stream or lake and releases thousands of dark gray eggs in the spring or summer depending on their location. The male follows her and fertilizes the eggs, which stick to vegetation and stones until they hatch five to eight days later. This is called spawning. The fish stop feeding when they spawn. The adults return to their feeding areas after spawning. When the young reach 6 to 7 3/4 inches (15 to 20 centimeters), they are independent and begin breeding after five to seven years.
The life span of this species is 30 years in the wild and up to 70 years in captivity.
Although it is North America’s most common sturgeon species, the shovelnose sturgeon population is declining due to fishing.
Bibliography
Lord, Katie. "Scaphirhynchus Platorynchus.", Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Scaphirhynchus‗platorynchus. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Shovelnose Sturgeon." Conservation Commission of Missouri, mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/shovelnose-sturgeon. Accessed 1 May 2024.