Touchy Mustache
Four fleshy barbels dangle like whiskers from a sturgeon’s shovel-shaped snout. The barbels help the fish feel for food.
Bottom Feeder
A shovelnose sturgeon uses its stretchy, toothless, tube-shaped mouth to suck up aquatic insects from muck at the bottom of big rivers.
Little Loaf
Although they can grow up to 30 inches long and weigh over 5 pounds, most shovelnose sturgeons stretch only a little longer than this poster and weigh just a bit more than a bread loaf.
Fintastic Armor
Instead of fish scales, a shovelnose sturgeon is protected by five rows of bony plates, one row along the top and two along each side. Its belly is also covered by plates.
Also In This Issue
Lots of critters lay eggs. But what do mom and pop — or, in some cases, other animals — do with the eggs after they’re laid? It depends …
Some are huge. Some are hairy. Some are spiky. Some look scary. Some are pretty. Some are not. Some, literally, look like snot. Welcome to the wild world of caterpillars.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Designer – Marci Porter
Art Director – Ben Nickelson
Editor – Matt Seek
Subscriptions – Marcia Hale
Magazine Manager – Stephanie Thurber