Scaphirhynchus

Scaphirhynchus 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
Domain:	Eukaryota
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 etymology of the word Scaphirhynchus is derived from two Greek words, scaphir translating to “boat”, while rhynchus being “snout”. The word rhynchus is used in the scientific name, be it genus or species for many animals, including the duck-billed platypus, ornithorhynchus as its genus, meaning “bird-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)