Age-0 Shovelnose Sturgeon Prey Consumption in the Lower Missouri River

作者：Gosch N J C^*; Miller M L; Gemeinhardt T R; Starks T A; Civiello A P; Long J M; Bonneau J L

来源：River Research and Applications, 2016, 32(8): 1819-1823.

DOI：10.1002/rra.3003

• shovelnose sturgeon
• diet
• Missouri River
• pallid sturgeon

A lack of nutritious food during the first year of life is a hypothesized factor that may limit survival of endangered pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus 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.

• 出版日期2016-10