Which prey items are often found in higher percentages in the gut content of sturgeon inhabiting a brackish estuary?
Answer
Crabs or marine shrimp.
The actual makeup of the White Sturgeon's diet is highly reflective of the specific local abundance within its immediate habitat, showing considerable variation between pure river systems and estuarine environments. When sturgeon reside in lower river reaches where they meet the ocean, their feeding ecology overlaps with marine species. Consequently, studies conducted on gut contents in these brackish or estuarine zones frequently show a higher proportion of marine-associated fauna, specifically citing crabs or marine shrimp as key dietary components in these areas.
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