Potential predators of the shortnose sturgeon include alligators, sharks, and other large fish such as catfish. Other known ones include sea lampreys gar, striped bass, common carp, northern pikeminnow, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, walleye, grey seal, fallfish, and sea lions. Behavior The life history of shortnose sturgeon beings with adults that lay their eggs in freshwater and then return to saltwater. The eggs are left to fend for themselves after spawning. As they age, the young fish slowly move to more saline water. Living in fresh or brackish water until they are at least a year old. Males can live up to around 30 years old while females can live to be close to 70 years old. Shortnose sturgeon spawn in moving freshwater water, over rubble or gravel bottoms. Time of spawning varies by latitude and is likely based on water temperatures in the range from 6.5–15 °C; this may be as early as January in South Carolina or as late as May in Canada. The eggs hatch after 13 days, into 7– to 11-mm-long hatchlings with a large yolk sac, minimal sight, minimal swimming ability, and a strong tendency to seek cover. After another 9–12 days, they mature to a swimming larval stage at about 15 mm in length, resembling a miniature adult by the time they reach 20 mm in length and begin feeding. They then drift downstream in the deep channels of the river, remaining in freshwater for the first year of their lives. Juveniles, up to 18 in long, generally move to brackish water, and move with it through the tidal cycle. Adults mature sexually around 18 to 22 inches in length. Males mature after 2–3 years in their warmest habitats or 10–14 years in colder climates, and females mature between 6 and 17 years of age (again, earlier in southern rivers). Adults continue to grow to between 3 and 4 ft in length. A male may breed every year or every other year and seldom lives beyond age 30. Females usually breed every third to the fifth year, lying between 40,000 and 200,000 eggs when they breed and can live to age 67. Females spend multiple years with reduced feeding and growth while they are producing the gonadal material needed for spawning. Behavioral information has been collected and demonstrated differences in the innate dispersal patterns in early life stages of shortnose sturgeon from