Shovelnose Sturgeon Survival and Life in Iowa's Waters

The physical characteristics of the Shovelnose Sturgeon, including it’s scoots, pectoral fins, downward facing and suctioning mouth, make it suitable as a bottom-feeder in the swift current of Iowa’s waters. These prehistoric looking fish feed on aquatic insect larvae and venture from feeding grounds downstream to spawning grounds upstream. Every other sturgeon species in the world is overfished. Data on fish migrations for spawning, such as how far and how quickly fish move, and overall behavior are essential to keeping a healthy population for future generations. Eggs laid often hatch within 5 days and the larvae float downstream into suitable rearing zones protected by aquatic predators. Shovelnose Sturgeon may only spawn every other year or every three years and gathering data helps scientists understand more about their breeding patterns.

• What is the Shovelnose Strugeon’s environment like?

• What are the physical characteristics of the Shovelnose Sturgeon?
• How do the physical characteristics of the Shovelnose Sturgeon help it survive in Iowa waters? 

Students could:

• Write claim, evidence, reasoning statements about the idea that the Shovelnose Sturgeon have internal and external structures that function together as part of as system to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 
• Research a detailed external anatomy of the Shovelnose Sturgeon and discuss how those anatomical features relate to the function of the animal based on its environment (bottom feeder in turbulent waters).
• Research and discuss different physical characteristics of sturgeon. (How do the physical characteristics of the shovelnose sturgeon compare to other species of sturgeon? Are there differences? Why might this be?)

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) | Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus): This website features Shovelnose Sturgeon description, Biology, Historic and Present Range, Artificial Propagation, and Human Uses.
• Lake Sturgeon and Coupled Great Lakes | Morphological Phylogeny of Sturgeons: This website features comparisons of sturgeon species. 
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) | Shovelnose Sturgeon: Provided by the Iowa DNR, this website features information on distribution of Shovelnose Sturgeon across Iowa.