Pallid Sturgeon – largest freshwater fish in N. America. Characterised by bony plates, pale appearances. Weighs up to 80 pounds, 6 feet long, live up to 50 years. Swim near the bottom of large, silty rivers, use their barbels to sense food.
An ancient ‘dinosaur fish‘, dates back 78 million years. Building dams disrupts rivers natural sediments, flows, temperatures, oxygen levels. Destroys access to Sturgeon’s spawning grounds. Swims 100’s of miles up-stream to spawn, eggs float back down-stream to hatch.
Most eggs end up in man-made reservoirs, sink to the bottom of oxygen-deprived waters to die. Now, no wild-born Pallid Sturgeon survive adulthood. Unfortunately, on the list of endangered species. Only 100 wild Pallid Sturgeon live in upper Missouri River.
Best way to save Pallid Sturgeon is to restore free-flowing rivers. We can limit use of pesticides, pollution of waterways.