Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhnchus albus)
By Graham Quick & Terry White
The Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhnchus albus) is very rare and almost never seen for sale in the UK. This fish was sold a decade ago but in recent years none have been imported.
From North America it is found through out the freshwater parts of the Mississippi and to the delta where it meets brackish water.
A maximum size of 1.8m and 45 kg has been recorded and a life expectancy of more than 40 years. The more usual sizes are just 50 - 60cm and 1 - 3 kg.
The Pallid Sturgeon has become rare in the wild and is listed as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. It is now being reproduced in captivity to restock the rivers.
Video of Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhnchus albus) at Montana's Miles City Hatchery |
Video of Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhnchus albus) at Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks |
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Notice the very distinctive scute pattern.
Taxonomy
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Links: Encyclopedia of Life | FAO Species Fact Sheet | Fishbase | ITIS | Pond Life
Common Names: Pallid Sturgeon