Pallid Sturgeon

About the Pallid Sturgeon

The Pallid Sturgeon is a unique and ancient fish, easily recognized by its flattened, shovel-like snout and long, tapered body. It typically exhibits a pale grey to white coloration dorsally, lightening to an almost pure white on its belly, aiding in camouflage in turbid waters. Instead of scales, its body is armored with five rows of bony plates, or scutes. Distinguishing it from its more common cousin, the Shovelnose Sturgeon, often requires a close look at its longer, more pointed snout and the absence of a fringed barbel on its caudal peduncle.

Source: FishBase & iNaturalist

Habitat

This endangered species is endemic to the large, turbid, free-flowing river systems of the Missouri and lower Mississippi river basins. It prefers areas with strong currents, deep channels, and sandy or gravelly substrates. They are also found in braided river sections and sand flats.

Distribution

Its native range extends throughout the mainstem Missouri River and the lower Mississippi River, spanning from Montana down to Louisiana in the United States.

Behaviour

Pallid Sturgeon are bottom-dwelling predators, using their sensitive barbels to detect food sources in the often-murky waters. Their diet consists primarily of small fish, insect larvae, and other aquatic invertebrates found along the river bottom. These fish undertake significant migrations within their river systems, driven by foraging opportunities and spawning requirements, with reproduction typically occurring in the spring over gravelly or cobbled areas.

Lure suggestion

As the Pallid Sturgeon is an endangered and federally protected species, it is illegal to target or retain them. Anglers fishing for other bottom-dwelling species like catfish or Shovelnose Sturgeon in their range might accidentally hook one. If you catch a Pallid Sturgeon, immediately identify it, handle it with extreme care to minimize stress, and release it unharmed without removing it from the water.