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be used as a surrogate for pallid sturgeon food habits, because they select fish over invertebrates <br />(Gerrity et al. 2006; Hoover et al. 2007; Wanner et al. 2007b). <br />No pallid sturgeon specimens from the Platte River system have been analyzed for their <br />stomach contents. Table 4lists the studies which have assessed pallid sturgeon food habits across <br />its range. <br />Prey availability and system productivity: <br />While pallid sturgeon are piscivorous, several studies have reported that they feed <br />specifically on native minnow species, notably several species of the genus Macrhybopsis <br />(Adams et al. 1999; Gerrity et al. 2006; Hoover et al. 2007; Wanner et al. 2007b). Several <br />authors have noted the declines in these species in the Missouri River which have been related to <br />alterations in discharge patterns caused by main stem reservoir operations and the loss of <br />connectivity between the Missouri River and its floodplain (NRC 2001, Galat et al. 2005). The <br />distribution and abundance of Macrhybopsis spp. has also been related to changes in river habitat <br />conditions in Kansas (Cross and Moss 1987). <br />Four species of chubs (Macrhybopsis hyostoma, M. storeriana, M. gelida, Platygobio <br />gracilis) have been collected from the Platte River and all are potential prey items of juvenile <br />and adult pallid sturgeon (Peters and Parham 2008).