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2 CONDUCT RESEARCH NECESSARY FOR SURVIVAL AND <br />RECOVERY OF PALLID STURGEON <br />2.1. Obtain information on life history and habitat requirements of <br />all life stages of pallid sturgeon. <br />2.1.1. Conduct investigations to determine age distribution, growth, <br />and growth rates. <br />Investigations are needed rangewide on species longevity, age <br />and size at sexual maturity, growth rates, and age structure <br />within wild populations. <br />2.1.2. Conduct investigations to describe food habits and feeding <br />behavior. <br />Little is known about the food habits or feeding behavior of <br />pallid sturgeon. Further investigations are needed so <br />management recommendations can be made. It is suspected that <br />increased clarity of the Missouri River has affected food <br />availability by changing prey species composition and by making <br />it more difficult for pallid sturgeon to capture prey in the <br />clearer water environment. Increased velocity in the <br />channelized river reaches might also make it harder to forage. <br />2.1.3. Conduct investigations to better define macrohabitat <br />requirements. <br />Physical habitat requirements and preferences for hydrograph, <br />turbidity, water velocity, and temperature need to be <br />determined for all life stages of pallid sturgeon. The <br />modeling of historic environmental conditions on the Missouri <br />and Mississippi Rivers can best characterize the macrohabitat <br />requirements for native big river fish like the pallid <br />sturgeon. <br />2.1.4. Conduct investigations to describe microhabitat characteristics <br />of spawning, feeding, staging, and rearing areas. <br />Once these important areas are located, microhabitat <br />characterizations should be made on parameters such as bottom <br />substrate, water depth, velocity, temperature, turbidity, etc. <br />Characterizing these areas of known use will assist managers <br />with locating and protecting similar habitat outside the study <br />area. This information also will be important for habitat <br />restoration activities. The least altered,portions of the <br />pallid sturgeon's range (recovery priority areas 1 and 2) <br />should receive priority for research. <br />30 <br />