Species Factsheet
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Threatened
and Endangered Species Factsheet |
 Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
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Description: Pallid sturgeons are a primitive fish with a unique dinosaur-like appearance. Its history can be traced back more than 200 million years. They have a flattened snout, long slender tail and are armored with lengthwise rows of body plates instead of scales. Their mouth is toothless and positioned under the snout for sucking small fish and invertebrates from the river bottom. In front of the mouth dangle four large whisker-like appendages called barbels. The inner barbels are shorter than the outer two. Pallid sturgeons can weigh up to 100 pounds when mature, and can grow to lengths of six feet. The back and sides of pallid sturgeons are grayish-white. Habitat: Pallid sturgeons swim close to the bottom of large, silty rivers (Mississippi and Missouri rivers) in a variety of depths in or near channels, sand bars, sand flats and gravel bars. Feeding habits: Pallid sturgeon feed on insect larvae, fish, snails, bits of aquatic plants and other litter from the river bottom. Current Iowa range: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie and Woodbury counties. Do something WILD!: Pallids which are stocked often carry two tags, an internal micro-tag and a yellow two-inch-long external tag attached to the left pectoral fin. Each tag carries a unique number as well as the address of a conservation agency. Anglers who catch tagged pallid sturgeon are asked to leave the external tag on the fish, and report the tag number and the location where the fish was caught. Since the pallid is an endangered species, any fish caught, tagged or not, must be released unharmed.  Back
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