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State of Florida Conservation Plan for Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)

Abstract

Gulf sturgeon are anadromous. They spend the cooler months (October or November through March or April) in estuarine or marine habitats, where they feed on benthic organisms such as isopods, amphipods, lancets, molluscs, crabs, grass shrimp, and marine worms (Mason and Clugston, 1993). In the spring, gulf sturgeon return to their natal river, where the sexually mature sturgeon spawn, and the population spends the next 6–8 months there (Odenkirk, 1989; Foster, 1993; Clugston et al., 1995; Fox et al., 2000). The conservation plan detailed in this document will be used to aid recovery of gulf sturgeon populations throughout the state of Florida and could be a model for other gulf states to use. (106pp.

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