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Scaphirynchus alba <br />Background Information <br />The Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirynchus alba) was listed as an endangered species <br />on September 6, 1990. It inhabits the Missouri River and and the Mississippi <br />River below the mouth of the Missouri. Little is known of the basic biology, life <br />history and habitat utilization of this species which makes conservation difficult at <br />best. Furthermore, it makes Section 7 compliance frustrating for the Service, <br />states and Federal action agencies working on the river. <br />Although wide ranging, catch records for the pallid sturgeon are extremely rare. <br />The species hybridizes with the shovelnose sturgeon (S. platyrynchus ), making <br />identification difficult. A recent genetics study has conclusively separated the <br />pallid and shovelnose sturgeon from the Alabama sturgeon (S. suttkus4 but was <br />inconclusive in separating the pallid from the shovelnose. The degree of <br />difference in mitochondrial DNA haplotypes in these two species suggest that <br />they only recently diverged, about 33,000 years ago. <br />Large -scale modification of the Mississippi River for navigation system <br />maintenance and flood control is being effected through such activities such as <br />dredging, construction of dikes and weirs, and bank stabilization; and through <br />Section 10 permit issuance for sand and gravel mining throughout the river. <br />Resources at risk include valuable main channel border habitat. Commercial <br />fishing may be affecting the species to an unknown degree. <br />