Shovelnose sturgeon

Characteristics

Buff or olive-drab above and light beneath. Its entire body is armored with heavy plates. Its snout is markedly flattened or shovel-shaped. There are no spiracles. A very long, thread-like filament attached to the top lobe of the tail fin, gives this fish one of its common names, switchtail. This filament is very fragile and is often missing, especially in older fish. This species commonly weighs 6- to 8-pounds, but 4- or 5-pound fish are more common.

Distribution

Mississippi and Missouri rivers, occasionally in larger tributaries.

Foods

Insect larvea, small mollusks and other bottom-dwelling organisms

State Record

12 lbs; 33in. - Des Moines River (Ottumwa to Farmington, Van Buren County, April 1974 - Randy Hemm, Douds, Iowa

Expert Tip

Most Shovelnose Sturgeon are caught accidentally by anglers fishing for catfish on the bottom.

Details

The Shovelnose is mostly a river fish, very seldom found in the absence of a current. In the Mississippi River it frequents the tailwaters below wing dams and other structures which accelerate current flow.

Spawning occurs in May and June, with the spawning run being greatest during years of low flow. Little is known about the spawning activity of this species. Fish mature at 5 to 7 years old when around 20- to 24-inches long. Females do not spawn every year, and the larger fish produce about 50,000 eggs. Growth in the Mississippi River is 8.4-inches at age 1, 12.5 at age 2, 16.1 at age 3, 18.8 at age 4, 20.7 at age 5, 22.5 at age 6, 23.8 at age 7, 25 at age 8, 25.9 at age 9, 26.7 at age 10, 27.1 at age 11, and 27.4 at age 12. Fish over 12 years old are very rare.

Shovelnose are the only sturgeon which you can legally take in Iowa, and they are actively sought by commercial and sport fishermen. About 50,000 pounds are harvested each year by commercial fishermen from the Mississippi River.

Recent stream sampling information is available from Iowa DNR's biological monitoring and assessment program.