 The most common prey are amphipods, while Atlantic sturgeon primarily consume polychaetes.Some reports have found that female adult shortnose sturgeon feed throughout the year, but a study from the Saint John River found that pre-spawning females rarely had food in their stomachs and likely stopped feeding about eight months prior to spawning while ripening males generally had full stomachs.Sturgeon are often called "living fossils", due to their ancient lineage and a fossil record that points to a holarctic distribution.