{"id":11783,"date":"2024-03-01T19:36:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T18:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=11783"},"modified":"2024-03-01T19:36:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T18:36:02","slug":"what-kind-of-sturgeon-are-in-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/what-kind-of-sturgeon-are-in-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"What Kind Of Sturgeon Are In The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

What Kind of Sturgeon Are in the Mississippi River?<\/h2>\n

The Mississippi River has a variety of fish species. Sturgeon is one of them. These large, bottom-dwelling fish look ancient and have been around for approximately 200 million years. Different kinds of sturgeon inhabit this river. Understanding what species are there and how they survive helps provide insight on the health of the Mississippi. <\/p>\n

The three main types of sturgeon in the Mississippi River are the paddlefish, the lake sturgeon, and the shovelnose sturgeon. The paddlefish, also known as the spadefish, is one of the longest-living fish in the river, with an average life span up to 25 years. They look like sharks, but don’t have any teeth. They feed by sifting plankton from the river water with their rostrum. <\/p>\n

The lake sturgeon is another type of fish in the Mississippi River. It has a long life span, up to an estimated 100 years. It gets its name from the lake-like quality of the river, which helps them thrive. They are found near the river’s banks and feed on snails, crayfish, and other aquatic invertebrates. <\/p>\n

The shovelnose sturgeon is also found in the Mississippi River. It is smaller than the lake and paddlefish and grows up to 1.3 meters in length. The shovelnose has a shovel-shaped snout that it uses to find food. It mainly feeds on mollusks and small crustaceans. <\/p>\n