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Sturgeons (Acipenseridae)

In the freshwater systems of North America, there are few creatures as large, primitive, and enigmatic as the sturgeon. Unfortunately, populations of these magnificent fishes have been declining since the turn of the century, a result of large river impoundment, siltation, and the overharvesting of females for caviar. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently lists four species of sturgeon as federally endangered.

Figure 1:


Figure 1. Family level identifiers. Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens).

 

Family Level Identifiers (see figure 1):

Habitat:

Most sturgeon species inhabit large rivers, lakes, and marine environments. It should be noted that some species are chiefly marine, and migrate to freshwaters only to spawn. Preferred substrates include clean sand and gravel, where they feed on snails, small mussels, and a variety of benthic organisms.

Pollution Tolerance:

Pollution tolerance among the sturgeons varies from species to species. Stream modification, mainly dams, has perhaps had the greatest impact on this family, severly limiting the ability of many species to access historic spawning waters. Trautman (1981) commented on the decline of Lake Sturgeon in Lake Erie and its tributaries: "The decline in sturgeon abundance appears to have been chiefly caused by the inability of the fish to reach its spawning grounds because of dams; by having the former spawning habitat destroyed by silting, pollution, or drainage; and by destruction of the great quantities of mussels and gastropods in both the streams and Lake Erie."

Use in IBI:

Karr's (1986) IBI does not include a metric for the sturgeon family. When appropriate, intolerant sturgeon species might be included in Metric 5: Number of Intolerant Species. Otherwise, their presence will be recorded under general metrics such as Metric 1: Total Number of Fish Species and Metric 10: Number of individuals in Sample.

Table 1. Tolerance designations for selected sturgeons.
Species Name Common Name Pollution Tolerance Habitat Disturbance
Acipenser brevirostrum Shortnose Sturgeon I NR
Acipenser fulvescens Lake Sturgeon M NR
Acipenser oxyrhychus Atlantic Sturgeon I NR
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus Shovelnose Sturgeon M I
Key
Pollution Tolerance Habitat Disturbance
T = Tolerant T = Tolerant
M = Intermediate MT = Moderately Tolerant
I = Intolerant MI = Moderately Intolerant
NR = No ranking I = Intolerant
  NR = No ranking

Biological Indicators | Aquatic Biodiversity | Statistical Primer

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