Three members of the sturgeon family inhabit Iowa waters. Sturgeons are primitive in character, and include many of the largest freshwater fishes in the world. Some species formerly abounded in coastal waters and entered rivers to spawn. Sturgeon are easily distinguished from all other fishes by the rows of armor-like bony plates, or scales, which partially cover the body. Four fleshy barbels are located on the long, pointed snout that projects far beyond the inferior mouth. The tail fin is heterocercal, meaning the vertebral column turns upward into the upper lobe. The upper lobe, consequently, is longer and better developed than the lower.

The largest of the Iowa sturgeons is the lake, or rock sturgeon. It is quite rare in our waters. These fish live to be very old, and specimens approaching 50 years have been reported. The most common sturgeon in Iowa is the shovelnose or hackleback. It is common in the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and also frequents the lower portions of the larger interior rivers that are tributary to the Great Border Rivers. The fish is less abundant than in former years, but it is still commercially important in river landings. The pallid sturgeon, which closely resembles the shovelnose, is presently confined to the Missouri River, where it is very infrequently observed.

In the early days of commercial fishing along the Mississippi River, sturgeon were harvested principally for the roe, or eggs, which were prepared as caviar. The carcasses were said to have been discarded. At the present time, however, the flesh is highly prized, and smoked shovelnose sturgeon always demands a high market price. Both the lake and pallid sturgeon are classified as endangered species in Iowa and are protected.

*Mayhew, J. (editor). 1987. Iowa Fish and Fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.