Habitat Use by Middle Mississippi River Pallid Sturgeon

Abstract

Little is known about the habitat preferences and needs of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus, which was federally listed as endangered in 1990. To learn more about habitat use and selection by pallid sturgeon, sonic transmitters were surgically implanted in 27 individuals from the middle Mississippi River. Study fish were located 184 times (1–23 times/individual) from November 1995 to December 1999. Of the seven macrohabitats identified, pallid sturgeon were found most often in main‐channel habitats (39% of all relocations) and main‐channel border habitats (26%); the between‐wing‐dam habitats were used less often (14%). Strauss's linear selectivity index (Li) values indicated that study fish exhibited positive selection for the main‐channel border, downstream island tips, between‐wing‐dam, and wing‐dam‐tip habitats; they showed negative selection for main‐channel, downstream of wing dams, and upstream of wing dam habitats. Comparison of Li values for four temperature ranges and three daily mean discharge ranges revealed little change in habitat selection due to temperature or discharge. Habitat use patterns also were similar across seasons and discharge regimes, except during spring months when between‐wing‐dam habitats saw greater use and main‐channel and main‐channel border habitat use declined. These changes may have been a response to high river stages associated with spring flooding, which may create favorable feeding areas in the between‐wing‐dam habitats. Enhancement and restoration of habitat diversity, particularly downstream island tip and between‐wing‐dam habitats, may be necessary for the recovery of pallid sturgeon in the middle Mississippi River.

A comparison of gastrically and surgically implanted telemetry transmitters in shovelnose sturgeon

“…Surgical transmitter implantation is the most common method used for transmitter implantation for pallid and shovelnose sturgeon (Quist et al 1999;Bramblett & White 2001;Hurley et al 2004;Jordan et al 2006;Delonay et al 2007). Surgical transmitter retention rate in this study was 100%.…”

Habitat Use of Juvenile Pallid Sturgeon and Shovelnose Sturgeon with Implications for Water‐Level Management in a Downstream Reservoir

“…For example, pallid sturgeon selected river reaches with frequent islands and avoided reaches with no islands, occasional islands, and split channels in the lower Yellowstone River and in the Missouri River above Lake Sakakawea (Bramblett and White 2001). Additionally, pallid sturgeon in the middle Mississippi River selected downstream island tips (Hurley et al 2004). Perhaps ideal depths for juvenile pallid sturgeon and shovelnose sturgeon were not present near islands in the Missouri River above Fort Peck Reservoir.…”

“…Pallid sturgeon in the middle Mississippi River were never found in water shallower than 1.8 m and usually used depths from 6 to 12 m (Hurley 1999). Downstream island and alluvial bar tips have been thought to provide abundant prey for pallid sturgeon (Bramblett and White 2001;Snook et al 2002;Hurley et al 2004). However, deep water in the main channel is the primary habitat for sicklefin chubs and sturgeon chubs (Grisak 1996;Everett 1999;Welker and Scarnecchia 2004), which were the primary prey of juvenile pallid sturgeon in the study area (Gerrity et al 2006).…”

Developing a shared understanding of the Upper Mississippi River: the foundation of an ecological resilience assessment

“…Connectivity to off-channel areas and inundated floodplains is important for access to nursery environments (King et al 2003, Schramm and Eggleton 2006, Schiemer and Hein 2008. Though many fluvial specialists and dependents, such as shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), remain in the main channel throughout winter (Lubinski 1984, Sheehan et al 1994, Quist et al 1999, Zigler et al 2003, Hurley et al 2004, seasonal residents, such as freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), may leave channel environments to seek more favorable overwintering conditions elsewhere (Bodensteiner and Lewis 1992). During high flow events, lotic fishes commonly seek refuge in low-velocity areas.…”