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BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
geon in the vicinity of Keokuk that came authentically to our attention during the 
investigation. 
In 1926 we were informed of occasional catches of rock sturgeon in the lake. 
Mr. Brusor at New Boston, said that in 1925 he had taken one weighing 109 pounds; 
this and two or three small examples were the only ones he had seen in several years. 
Somewhat similar reports were received from others. A fisherman at Canton, Mo., 
22 miles below the dam, said that small rubbernose sturgeon (about 15 pounds) 
were not infrequently taken in the spring. 
Shovelnose sturgeon. Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus (Rafinesque) 
HACKLEBACK 
The common sturgeon of the Mississippi in the region affected by the Keokuk 
Dam is the shovelnose sturgeon or “hackleback, ” Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus 
(Rafinesque), a species that is generally common in the larger rivers of the Missisippi 
Basin. It does not attain a large size. Specimens seen in the markets are usually 
2 feet or less in length, but these are no doubt undersized. At Fairport, Iowa, the 
average weight is said to be about 3 pounds, but 6-pound sturgeon are mentioned. 
Evermann (1902) said that the largest he had ever seen was under 4 feet. Little is 
known of the habits of this sturgeon. Evermann stated that it swims well toward 
the surface when running and is taken along with Ohio shad and paddlefish. In the 
Mississippi River, however, it is usually taken near the botton in drifting trammel 
nets leaded to drag on the bottom; some are captured on trot-lines baited with min- 
nows or worms. 
The fate of the sturgeon in the Mississippi is one of the tragedies of shortsighted- 
ness in the conduct of the fishery. Only a few years ago this fish was considered almost 
worthless and, when taken in the nets, was regarded by the fisherman as a nuisance; 
the labor of skinning them was not compensated for by the price obtainable. All 
testimony indicates that it was the common practice to break the necks of the stur- 
geon when caught or to throw them high on the bank to die. Sometime within the 
first decade of the present century the value of the roe for caviar and the profit in 
handling “hog-dressed” fish for smoking were first appreciated in a general way. 
Previously a few had been sold in local markets, but virtually none had been shipped. 
The hackleback is now one of the most esteemed of smoked-fish products from the 
Mississippi and is commonly seen in all the local markets. It is prepared by the 
practice of “hog dressing,” that is, removing the entrails but leaving on the skin and 
scales. The roe is of high value, but statistics of the fishery indicate that, on the 
whole, the meat brings a greater return to the fisherman than does the more 
intrinsically valuable roe. 6 
The shovelnose sturgeon is said to spawn in the spring, probably ascending the 
smaller streams for that purpose (Goode, 1884, p. 663; Kirsch and Fordice, 1890, 
p. 247; Forbes and Richardson, 1908, p. 27), but no record of observation has been 
found. An example was collected in Louisiana in winter (Jordan 1884a, p. 318), 
but the species was not noted during an investigation conducted in April and early 
May (Evermann, 1899) ; possibly this was due to chance or to the fact that collections 
were not made at a breeding place. Trumer Jackson, of Warsaw, 111., who formerly 
fished at Cairo, about 300 miles south of Keokuk, stated that the fish, though regu- 
» On July 3, 1917, the price of sturgeon meat at Keokuk was 16 cents while the price of sturgeon roe was $2.75 per pound. The 
price varies greatly, being influenced by importations of Russian caviar; it may be as low as 50 cents a pound. 
