Age-0 Shovelnose Sturgeon prey consumption in the Lower Missouri River

River Research and Applications
By: , and 

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Abstract

A lack of nutritious food during the first year of life is a hypothesized factor that may limit survival of endangered pallid sturgeonScaphirhynchus albus in the lower Missouri River (LMOR). Unfortunately, information for age-0 pallid sturgeon diets remains limited, but diet analyses for age-0 Scaphirhynchus spp. (sturgeon hereafter) have occurred. Little information, however, exists on age-0 sturgeon diets in the LMOR; thus, our primary objective was to document age-0 sturgeon diets in this system. We examined guts contents from 30 individuals, which were genetically identified as shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, and three stomachs were empty. The remaining age-0 shovelnose sturgeon consumed chironomid larvae almost exclusively (>98% of prey items consumed). Our results were similar to studies conducted in other systems, and it appears unlikely that a lack of nutritious food was a major factor affecting the individuals captured during this study. This effort provides important information to help guide ongoing adaptive management efforts in the LMOR.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Age-0 Shovelnose Sturgeon prey consumption in the Lower Missouri River
Series title River Research and Applications
DOI 10.1002/rra.3003
Volume 32
Issue 8
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher Wiley Online
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Atlanta
Description 5 p.
First page 1819
Last page 1823
Country United States
State Missouri
Other Geospatial Missouri River
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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