[5] Its historical ranges were believed to be over 1600 rkm and included the Tombigbee, Alabama, Mobile, Tensaw, Black Warrior, Cahaba, Coosa, and Tallapoosa rivers [6] The fish has a distinctive yellowish-orange color, grows to a size of about 30 in (76 cm) long and 2 to 3 lb (0.9–1.4 kg), and is believed to have a lifespan of 12 to 20 years.

Before its discovery, it was misidentified as a Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, a shovelnose sturgeon, but certain physical differences led to further investigation and the eventual distinction between the two species.

These opportunistic bottom feeders eat a variety of insects including flies, mayflies, caddisflies, beetles, and dragonflies.

[9] Fish make up roughly 1/3 of their diet, including those from the orders Cypriniformes (minnows, shiners, logperch) and Perciformes (darters, bluegills).

[9] Alabama sturgeon stomachs also tend to contain considerable amounts of sand and gravel, which suggests feeding in benthic areas.

[9] The insects consumed by Alabama sturgeons are found in a variety of habitats, such as on the surfaces of rocks, in swift and slow currents, and in the water column.

Due to their severely endangered status and relatively recent discovery, little is known about the reproductive habits of Alabama sturgeon.

The sturgeon's protection was opposed by a variety of industries located along Alabama's rivers for the feared economic impact.

After determining the fish was a male, sperm were collected, a small tracking device implanted, and it was released once it had fully healed.

[14] It includes a plan to establish a captive stock that can produce fingerlings to be released back into the wild and to improve the habitat in the Alabama River through operational changes at Claiborne and Millers Ferry Lock and Dams.

[17] During spawning season (April), researchers found a greater number of Alabama sturgeon eDNA detections.