Dinosaur Fish Doomed To Extinction

The Pallid Sturgeon is a fish that lives in the Missouri River, which flows from Montana to where the river empties in Mississippi River. These fish are considered "dinosaur fish" and have survived for millions of years. They have no teeth, no rib cage, and are covered in bony scales, yet have managed to survive longer than dinosaurs have.

However, due to the recent installation of dams along the river, their population has dwindled down to about 125 fish. The fish deposit eggs into the water, that must move along with the current. The dams, however, do not allow the eggs to continue on their travels and they get caught in reservoirs, that are filled with bacteria and don't allow the eggs to get oxygen. In turn, the eggs suffocate and eventually die. This has had a serious effect on the population of pallid sturgeons, which has been been very concerning. The only way to save these creatures is to change the dams into an pump irrigation system. This switch is anywhere from $80 to $138 million. With that cost the fate of these dinosaur fish is left up to the court.