80 NORTHERN FISHES 



dian plains southward to New Mexico, Arkansas, and Kentucky. In 

 Minnesota this species seems to be restricted to the Mississippi, Minne- 

 sota, and St. Croix rivers. Shovelnose sturgeon have never been able to 

 ascend beyond the falls on any of these streams. Apparently Granite 

 Falls on the Minnesota has prevented their distribution into the Red 

 River but they are found in Lake Winnipeg. Although they are still 

 taken by the commercial fishermen and an occasional angler in the St, 

 Croix and in Lake Pepin, they are beheved to be more or less uncom- 

 mon at present. In Wisconsin Greene (1935) reported them from the 

 Chippewa River and from the Mississippi River. Forbes (1908) stated 

 that they spawn in Illinois between April and June. In Minnesota and 

 Wisconsin they spawn in May and early June. At Taylors Falls each 

 spring large numbers gather under the dam of the St. Croix River in an 

 unsuccessful attempt to pass to their spawning beds. Although very 

 little is known about their habits, it has been ascertained that they 

 spawn in very rapid water and may therefore take advantage of the 

 strong current created by the overflow of the newly built dams in the 

 Upper Mississippi to maintain their relative abundance below Lake 

 Pepin. 



The hackleback finds ready sale in the market, either as steaks or 

 smoked sturgeon. Owing to their small size most of them are smoked. 

 In recent years the roe has been made into excellent caviar. It is often 

 mixed with the roe of the paddlefish and even of suckers. 



Comparatively little is known of their feeding habits. Stomachs ex- 

 amined by Surber at the Fairport laboratory indicated their food to be 

 almost exclusively aquatic insect larvae including nymphs of dragon- 

 flies. Almost the same food habits were indicated in three stomachs 

 secured from the Mississippi River below Winona in 1914. 



