Recovery Plan For The Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus Albus PDF Download

Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is a native North American fish that was listed as a federally endangered species in 1990 due to failure in spawning and recruitment. The upper Missouri River basin's pallid sturgeon have been shown to be genetically distinct from other pallid sturgeon. Since there has been no natural recruitment in the upper Missouri River for several decades, perpetuation of this genetically distinct unit is reliant on propagation using remaining wild fish as broodstock. The expense associated with acquiring unique individuals from the remaining wild broodstock is causing wild collection to become a less viable option each year. It has been proposed that rearing progeny of wild broodstock fish in a hatchery setting as captive broodstock may be feasible alternative to wild collections. The genetic risks associated with the creation of a captive broodstock need to be investigated and a captive management plan needs to be developed prior to the implementation of a captive broodstock program.