Lake Sturgeon and Similar Species
Acipenser fulvescens
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Open the appSeveral fish can be confused with Lake Sturgeon. Here are the key differences.
Species often confused with {name}
Shovelnose Sturgeon
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
Key differences: The Shovelnose Sturgeon is much smaller (typically under 1 meter), has a flattened, shovel-like snout, and a completely armored caudal peduncle (the narrow part of the body before the tail fin). Its barbels are fringed, unlike the smooth barbels of the Lake Sturgeon.
Pallid Sturgeon
Scaphirhynchus albus
Key differences: The Pallid Sturgeon is also smaller than the Lake Sturgeon, has a flattened snout, and a partially armored caudal peduncle. It is typically paler in color and has longer, thinner barbels that are not fringed. It is critically endangered and found primarily in the Missouri and Mississippi River systems.
Atlantic Sturgeon
Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus
Key differences: The Atlantic Sturgeon is an anadromous species (spends most of its life in saltwater, spawns in freshwater). While morphologically similar, it typically has a more pointed snout and is found in coastal rivers and estuaries along the Atlantic seaboard, not exclusively in freshwater lakes and rivers of the interior.
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