RIVER FISH · Big-river bottom dweller
Shovelnose sturgeon
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
A slender native sturgeon with a flattened shovel-shaped snout, armored scutes and a long tail filament, built for life close to the bottom of large rivers.
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Meet the fish
- Habitat
- Large turbid rivers with current over sand, gravel and mixed bottom habitat.
- On the menu
- Aquatic insect larvae, small crustaceans, worms and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates.
- Size context
- Shovelnose are much smaller than lake, Atlantic or white sturgeon; adults are commonly measured in feet rather than the giant sizes reached by those species.
- Range & local context
- Native through much of the Mississippi and Missouri river systems and connected central U.S. drainages.
Living with the river
Water & habitat
Current, depth, substrate and connected main-channel habitat all matter. High discharge does not by itself describe bottom conditions or fish location.
Seasonal life
Adults move through large-river habitat and spawn in flowing water; timing and movement vary among river systems.
Why this song? Shovelnose sturgeon spend their lives close to big-river bottoms, making “Digging In The Dirt” an appropriately muddy pairing.
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Before you go
Sturgeon rules vary widely, and shovelnose can occur near protected look-alike species such as pallid sturgeon. Correct identification and local regulations are essential.
Use the linked agencies and the relevant river guide for current regulations, closures and consumption advisories. A species profile is not a fishing license or a statement that harvest is allowed.
Editorial review: . Regional size examples are labeled; maximum lengths are not typical sizes.
More river fish
Keep exploring species connected to the same river-guide network.