The feeding habitats of young-of-year river sturgeon Scaphirhynchus spp. from the Lower Mississippi River were evaluated. Seventy specimens collected between 2001 and 2010 (99%: 2006–2010) were dissected and gut contents analyzed. The macrohabitats and habits associated with sturgeon prey items (primarily benthic macroinvertebrates) were used to make inferences about habitat use by young-of-year river sturgeon. These findings indicate that young river sturgeon inhabiting the Lower Mississippi River feed primarily over sandy benthos, most likely in channel habitats. The majority of prey items (64.0%) consumed by young-of-year river sturgeon belong to a single subgroup of Chironomidae (Diptera: Chironominae: Harnischia complex) of which several genera, including Chernovskiia, Cryptochironomus, Gillotia, Paracladopelma, Robackia, and Saetheria, are known to be primary inhabitants of this macrohabitat.
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1 January 2014
Feeding Habitats of Young-of-year River Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus spp. in the Lower Mississippi River
Audrey B Harrison,
William T Slack,
K. Jack Killgore
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