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Evaluation of pulsed gastric lavage on the survival of captive shovelnose sturgeon
Author(s) -
Shuman D. A.,
Peters E. J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0426.2007.00887.x
Subject(s) - sturgeon , biology , endangered species , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , acclimatization , zoology , ecology , habitat
Summary Little is known about the diet of the endangered pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus . Because of this endangered status non‐lethal methods to ascertain their food habits must be evaluated. Tests of pulsed gastric lavage (PGL) were conducted on shovelnose sturgeon S. platorynchus , as a surrogate for the pallid sturgeon, to determine if PGL negatively affected their survival. Nine sequential trials containing eight shovelnose sturgeon (N = 72) were conducted with wild fish collected from the Platte River near Louisville, Nebraska. Each trial group was placed into one of two tanks, with each tank containing three pulsed gastric lavaged fish and one control fish. Fish were weighed, measured, and tagged with a passive integrated transponder (PIT tag) before being transported to holding tanks for acclimation and PGL treatment. Sturgeon were acclimated 4–6 days prior to PGL, then held for 15 days after treatment. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, and nitrite were monitored daily. No significant difference between the survival of PGL fish and control fish was detected. Because the test required these fish to endure the additional stress of transport and handling, PGL seems a viable technique that can be safely used to evaluate food habits of shovelnose sturgeon, and could be considered safe for pallid sturgeon food habit studies.