Scaphirhynchus

Scaphirhynchus, from Ancient Greek σκάφη (skáphe), meaning "shovel", and ῥύγχος (rhúnkos), meaning "snout", is a genus of sturgeons native to North America. All species in this genus are considered to be threatened with extinction or worse.^[2][3][4] As of 2023, the pallid sturgeon (S. albus)^[3] and the Alabama sturgeon (S. suttkusi)^[4] are critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Scaphirhynchus
Scaphirhynchus albus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acipenseriformes
Family:	Acipenseridae
Genus:	Scaphirhynchus Heckel, 1835
Species
See text
Synonyms[1]
Scaphirhynchops Gill 1863 Parascaphirhynchus Forbes & Richardson 1905

The genus name Scaphirhynchus from Ancient Greek σκάφη (skáphe), meaning "shovel", and ῥύγχος (rhúnkos), meaning "snout", referring to their flat, shovel-shaped snout.

Distribution

Member species are found in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Alabama Rivers.

Species

Currently, three species in this genus are recognized:^[5]

• Scaphirhynchus albus (S. A. Forbes & R. E. Richardson, 1905) (pallid sturgeon)
• Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque, 1820) (shovelnose sturgeon)
• Scaphirhynchus suttkusi J. D. Williams & Clemmer, 1991 (Alabama sturgeon)