Scaphirhynchus

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Scaphirhynchus albus.jpg

| image_caption = Scaphirhynchus albus

| image_upright = 1.2

| taxon = Scaphirhynchus

| authority = Heckel, 1835

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text

| range_map = Scaphirhynchus map.jpg

| synonyms = * Scaphirhynchops Gill 1863

• Parascaphirhynchus Forbes & Richardson 1905

| synonyms_ref = {{Cite web|title=Acipenseridae |url=http://deeplyfish.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Family-Acipenseridae-PDF.pdf|website=Deeplyfish- fishes of the world|access-date=18 May 2017}}

}}

Scaphirhynchus is a genus of sturgeons native to North America. All species in this genus are considered to be threatened with extinction or worse.{{cite iucn |last1=Phelps|first1=Q.|last2=Webb|first2=M.|year=2022|title=Scaphirhynchus platorynchus|page=e.T19943A81762958|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T19943A81762958.en|access-date=6 March 2023}}{{cite iucn |last1=Jordan|first1=G.|last2=Nelson-Stastny|first2=W.|year=2022 |title=Scaphirhynchus albus |page=e.T19940A97435395 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T19940A97435395.en|access-date=6 March 2023}}{{cite iucn |last1=Kuhajda|first1=B.|last2=Rider|first2=S.|year=2022|title=Scaphirhynchus suttkusi|page=e.T19942A81759618|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T19942A81759618.en|access-date=6 March 2023}} As of 2023, the pallid sturgeon (S. albus) and the Alabama sturgeon (S. suttkusi) are critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The etymology of the word Scaphirhynchus is derived from two Greek words, scaphir translating to “boat”, while rhynchus being “snout”. The word rhynchus is used in the scientific name, be it genus or species for many animals, including the duck-billed platypus, ornithorhynchus as its genus, meaning “bird-snout”.