Are sturgeon and catfish related?
No. Although sturgeon and catfish can be found in the same habitats and they both have barbels (whiskerlike growths extending from the jaw), they are not closely related. Sturgeon are much more primitive than catfish. There are some catfish sold for aquariums that look somewhat like sturgeon, and some fish have common names that are misleading (i.e. sturgeon chub) but these fish are not related to sturgeon.
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The Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon Effects Analysis (EA) was designed to assess how Missouri River management has affected—and may affect—the endangered Scaphirhynchus albus (pallid sturgeon) population. The EA emerged from the recognition that the direction and focus of the Missouri River Recovery Program would benefit from an updated, thorough...
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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Missouri and Iowa State University, is conducting research to address effects of climate change on sturgeon populations (Scaphirhynchus spp.) in the Missouri River. The CERC is conducting laboratory, field,...
Wildhaber, Mark L.
The pallid sturgeon: Scientific investigations help understand recovery needs
Understanding of the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) has increased significantly since the species was listed as endangered over two decades ago. Since 2005, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) have been engaged in an interdisciplinary research program in cooperation with the U.S....
DeLonay, Aaron J.
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Knights, Brent; Zigler, Steve
Evaluation of Pallid Sturgeon Science on the Missouri River
A new fact sheet documenting the development of the Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon Effects Analysis (EA) is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey. The EA is an effort to assess how Missouri River management has affected—and may affect—the endangered pallid sturgeon population.
New Evidence Shows Endangered Pallid Sturgeon Spawned in Lower Missouri River
Three tiny fish larvae that were captured by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in May 2014 have just been confirmed to be pallid sturgeon. These new genetic identifications add to mounting evidence that critically endangered pallid sturgeon spawned successfully in the Lower Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam, South Dakota.
Culprit Identified in Decline of Endangered Missouri River Pallid Sturgeon
BOZEMAN – Pallid sturgeon come from a genetic line that has lived on this planet for tens of millions of years; yet it has been decades since anyone has documented any of the enormous fish successfully producing young that survive to adulthood in the upper Missouri River basin.
White Sturgeon Hatch-Success Study Yields Clues to Restoration Strategy
The eggs of endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon are less likely to hatch on some of the surfaces that have been made more common by human, or anthropogenic, changes on the river, a new U.S. Geological Survey report has found.
New Reefs Providing Hope for Struggling Sturgeon: Gentle Giants Are Back
New scientific findings from an effort to restore fish spawning habitat for lake sturgeon, walleye, lake whitefish and other native fish in the St. Clair River will be shared during a public event in Algonac City Park on Aug. 28, 2012 at 11 a.m.
Weighing sturgeon prior to tagging
Weighing sturgeon prior to tagging
Researchers lift a heavy sturgeon aboard the boat onto the scale
Flathead Catfish
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit - Nathan Gosch (right; master's student) utilizes a gastroscope to verify that all stomach contents were recovered from a flathead catfish held by Jeff Stittle (undergraduate).
Lake Sturgeon in Genesee River, NY
A USGS scientist holds a five-year-old stocked lake sturgeon recaptured during a survival assessment in the Genesee River, New York.
Lake sturgeon were once a highly abundant fish species in the Great lakes, but populations are currently only about one percent of their historic abundance due to overfishing in the 1800s and early 1900s. To help bring this ancient
...
Snake River Catfish
USGS aquatic biologist Terry Maret displays a large catfish collected during fish sampling of the lower Snake River near Murphy, ID. Fish tissue samples were collected from selected fish to analyze for the presence of mercury as part of a monitoring program the USGS is conducting in cooperation with the City of Boise.
Huron-Erie Corridor Lake Sturgeon
Lake sturgeon collected on restored spawning grounds in the lower St. Clair River.
Flathead Catfish
Biologist holding a flathead catfish caught by trammel net in the Lower Missouri River.