Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)
By Terry White
The Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) is the smallest growing native American sturgeon species. The maximum recorded size is 1m in length and 4.8kg in weight but 50 - 85cm and up to 2.5kg is more usual.
The Shovelnose Sturgeon is not as commonly available for sale in the U.S. as the White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), which grows far to large for most garden ponds but is nevertheless often seen for sale as an aquarium fish! The Shovelnose Sturgeon's adult size makes it a much more suitable choice for pond keepers and a good alternative to the Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), especially for would be sturgeon keepers in the U.S where true Sterlets are hard to find for sale.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Andy Plauck talks about efforts to save the Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhnchus albus) and the Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) |
The Shovelnose Sturgeon is one of the most abundant species in the wild but is still listed as 'Vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The construction of dams and other alterations to the rivers has reduced the Shovelnose Sturgeon's range by about 30% and blocked access to ancestral spawning grounds. The species is being reproduced in captivity to restock the rivers
Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency photo
Natural hybrids occur in the wild between the larger Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) and the Shovelnose Sturgeon which both spawn in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
recommended Pond Size
The Shovelnose Sturgeon will need a pond of at least 4,500 litres (1,000 gallons) but bigger is better, more than 9,000 litres (2,000 gallons) is recommended if you want to keep the fish into adulthood.
Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) Ohio Department of Natural Resources photo
Taxonomy
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Links: Encyclopedia of Life | FAO Species Fact Sheet | Fishbase | ITIS | Pond Life
Common Names: Sand Sturgeon, Shovelnose Sturgeon