Alabama Sturgeon

Scaphirhynchus suttkusi

About This Fish

As the common name suggests, the Alabama Sturgeon is found in the Mobile Basin predominantly in Alabama, but also in eastern Mississippi. They are found in large rivers with sand and gravel substrate. No individuals of this federally endangered species have been seen since 2008, and the species is on the brink of extinction due to construction of dams impacting reproductive success. Alabama Sturgeon are the smallest river sturgeon with a maximum size of just under three feet.

Acipenseridae >

Scaphirhynchus

Alabama (AL), Mississippi (MS)

Lower Coosa – 03150107, Upper Alabama – 03150201, Cahaba – 03150202, Middle Alabama – 03150203, Lower Alabama – 03150204, Upper Tombigbee – 03160101, Middle Tombigbee-Lubbub – 03160106

Literature

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 2013. Recovery plan for the Alabama Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi). U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Daphne, Alabama. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/20130504_NAL%20AL%20Sturgeon%20Recovery%20Plan%2005042013.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 2010. Alabama Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi) 5-year review: summary and evaluation. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Daphne, Alabama. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc3577.pdf

Rider, S. J., and J. R. Powell. 2009. Scaphirhynchus suttkusi – Alabama Sturgeon, p. 11-12. In: The Desperate Dozen: Southeastern Freshwater Fishes on the Brink. B. R. Kuhajda, A. L. George, and J. D. Williams (eds.). Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings 51:10-30. https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1168&context=sfcproceedings

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 2009. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; designation of critical habitat for Alabama Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi). Federal Register 74:26488-26510. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2009-06-02/pdf/E9-12517.pdf

Keevin, T. M., S. G. George, J. J. Hoover, B. R. Kuhajda, and R. L. Mayden. 2007. Food habits of the endangered Alabama Sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus suttkusi Williams and Clemmer, 1991 (Acipenseridae). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 23:500-505. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2007.00906.x

Ray, J. M., C. B. Dillman, R. M. Wood, R. L. Mayden, and B. R. Kuhajda. 2007. Microsatellite analysis of the endangered river sturgeons (Scaphirhynchus species) from the lower Mississippi River basin. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 23:304-312.

Rider, S. J., and P. Hartfield. 2007. Conservation and collection efforts for the endangered Alabama Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus suttkusi). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 23:489-493. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2007.00876.x

Mettee, M. F., P. E. O’Neil, T. E. Shepard, and S. W. McGregor. 2005. A study of fish movements and fish passage at Claiborne and Millers Ferry locks and dams on the Alabama River, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama Open-file Report 0507. https://www.gsa.state.al.us/img/Ecosystems/pdf/OFR_0507.pdf

Kuhajda, B. R. 2004a. Alabama Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus suttkusi, p. 175-176. In: Alabama Wildlife. Volume 2. Imperiled Aquatic Mollusks and Fishes. R. E. Mirarchi, J. T. Garner, M. F. Mettee, and P. E. O’Neil (eds.). The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.

Kuhajda, B. R. 2004b. Alabama Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus suttkusi, p. 131. In: Alabama Wildlife. Volume 4. Conservation and Management Recommendations for Imperiled Wildlife. R. E. Mirarchi, M. A. Bailey, J. T. Garner, T. M. Haggerty, T. L. Best, M. F. Mettee, and P. E. O’Neil (eds.). The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.

Simons, A. M., R. M. Wood, L. S. Heath, B. R. Kuhajda, and R. L. Mayden. 2001. Phylogenetics of Scaphirhynchus based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130:359-366. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8659(2001)130%3C0359%3APOSBOM%3E2.0.CO%3B2

ADCNR (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Alabama-Tombigbee Rivers Coalition. 2000. Conservation agreement and strategy for the Alabama sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus suttkusi. Montgomery, Alabama.

Campton, D. E., A. L. Bass, F. A. Chapman, and B. W. Bowen. 2000. Genetic distinction of Pallid, Shovelnose, and Alabama Sturgeon: emerging species and the US Endangered Species Act. Conservation Genetics 1:17-32. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1010121417487

Scharpf, C. 2000. Politics, science, and the fate of the Alabama Sturgeon. American Currents 2000:6–14. http://www.nanfa.org/articles/pdf/alabamasturgeon.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 2000. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; final rule to list the Alabama Sturgeon as endangered. Federal Register 65:26438-26461. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2000-05-05/pdf/00-11131.pdf#page=2

Mayden, R. L., and B. R. Kuhajda. 1997. Threatened fishes of the world: Scaphirhynchus suttkusi Williams & Clemmer, 1991 (Acipenseridae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 48:418-419. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F0-306-46854-9_30

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1997. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; review of plant and animal taxa that are candidates or proposed for listing as endangered or threatened, annual notice of findings on recycled petitions, and annual description of progress on listing actions. Federal Register 62:49398-49411. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1997-09-19/pdf/97-24805.pdf#page=1

Mayden, R. L., and B. R. Kuhajda. 1996. Systematics, taxonomy, and conservation status of the endangered Alabama Sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus suttkusi Williams and Clemmer (Actinopterygii, Acipenseridae). Copeia 1996:241-273. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1446842

Burke, J. S. and J. S. Ramsey. 1995. Present and recent historic habitat of the Alabama Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus suttkusi (Williams and Clemmer), in the Mobile River Basin. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History 17:17-24. https://web.a.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=01961039&AN=125509874&h=KbqNp8p7AaIHXSvRBW7ciaJCVgYTjPXn4Y%2fkPOaHQgoV%2b6kKZDhumLRuDl8M%2f1C%2fpi3pXuu97AXg7UuMQOJEOw%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d01961039%26AN%3d125509874

Biggins, R. 1994. Federal activities that may affect the Alabama Sturgeon and anticipated section 7 consultations on these activities. Paper jointly prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1994. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; withdraw of proposed rule for endangered status and critical habitat for the Alabama Sturgeon. Federal Register 59:64794-64809. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr2748.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1993. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; proposed endangered status and designation of critical habitat for the Alabama Sturgeon; proposed rule. Federal Register 58:33148-33153. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr2310.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1991. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; animal candidate review for listing as endangered or threatened species. Federal Register 56:58804-58836. https://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/fedreg/fr056/fr056225/fr056225.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1989. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; animal notice of review. Federal Register 54:554-579. https://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/fedreg/fr054/fr054004/fr054004.pdf

Williams, J. E., J. E. Johnson, D. A. Hendrickson, S. Contreras-Balderas, J. D. Williams, M. Navarro-Mendoza, D. E. McAllister, and J. E. Deacon. 1989. Fishes of North America endangered, threatened, or of special concern: 1989. Fisheries 14:2-20. https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8446(1989)014%3C0002:FONAET%3E2.0.CO;2

Ramsey, J. S. 1986. Alabama Shovelnose Sturgeon, p. 18-19. In: Vertebrate Animals of Alabama in Need of Special Attention. R. H. Mount (ed.). Alabama Agricultural Experimental Station, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.

Burke, J. S., and J. S. Ramsey. 1985. Status survey of the Alabama Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus sp. cf. platorynchus) in the Mobile Bay drainage. Report to U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jackson, Mississippi.

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1985. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; review of vertebrate wildlife. Federal Register 50:37958-37967. https://cdn.loc.gov/service/ll/fedreg/fr050/fr050179/fr050179.pdf

USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 1982. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; review of vertebrate wildlife for listing as endangered or threatened species. Federal Register 47:58454-58460. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/federal_register/fr650.pdf

Deacon, J. E. G. Kobetich, J. D. Williams, and S. Contreras. 1979. Fishes of North America endangered, threatened, or of special concern: 1979. Fisheries 4:29-44. http://www.nativefishlab.net/library/textpdf/12741.pdf

Jenkins, R. E. 1976. A list of undescribed freshwater fish species of continental United States and Canada, with additions to the 1970 checklist. Copeia 1976:642-644 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1443400

Ramsey, J. S. 1976. Freshwater fishes, p. 53-65. In: Endangered and Threatened Plants and Animals of Alabama. H. Boschung (ed.). Bulletin Alabama Museum of Natural History 2.

Bailey, R. M., and F. B. Cross. 1954. River sturgeons of the American genus Scaphirhynchus: characters, distribution, and synonymy. Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters 39:169-208. http://www.nativefishlab.net/library/textpdf/17253.pdf

Alabama Sturgeon

Literature

IMPORTANT LINKS