Spawning Locations of Pallid Sturgeon in the Missouri River Corroborate the Mechanism for Recruitment Failure

Conservation propagation of pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) upstream Fort Peck Reservoir, MT, USA, has successfully recruited a new generation spawning-capable where there would otherwise be fewer than 30 remaining wild reproductively mature sturgeon. Successful recovery will now rely on the behavior (e.g., successful spawning in locations that provide adequate drift distance for larvae to recruit). We used location data during four putative seasons answer following questions: Where do spawn? Are related discharge? substrate characteristics at similar other river reaches? Do females, males, and female undergoing mass ovarian follicular atresia use similarly? Additionally, we considered if are far enough from river–reservoir transition zone recruit. Spawning-capable did explore locations, were located Marias River season 2018 when discharge was an unprecedented high. Pallid exited moved downstream prior spawning, occurred, it not prevent entering Reservoir. Thus, management water temperature mimic conditions may increase by season, which available probability recruitment.