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• Baseline documents show two expert identified pallid sturgeon were found in the <br />Missouri near the mouth of the Platte River prior to present on -going studies, all <br />occurrences from the Platte documented in the Nebraska Game and Parks <br />database prior to 2001 are based on after - the -fact angler descriptions via <br />telephone interviews. <br />• The strong similarities in physical appearance between the pallid and shovelnose <br />sturgeon make it difficult to distinguish the two as separate species. <br />The issue of species status for the pallid sturgeon has been often debated since the pallid <br />sturgeon was petitioned for endangered status. The pallid sturgeon's similar appearance <br />to the more common shovelnose sturgeon has led some to conclude that they are members <br />of the same species. Since the pallid sturgeon was listed in 1990, however, geneticists <br />and ichthyologists have worked to refine testing procedures and develop the materials to <br />definitively determine the status of these two fish species. " (USFWS, 1993) <br />Despite the questions and uncertainty in identifying these fish, the NG &PC <br />accepted fishermen descriptions as evidence of pallid occurrences. <br />