[5][7] The Amu Darya sturgeon feeds on small fish and aquatic insect larvae, with large individuals being mostly piscivorous.

[1] Despite its threatened status, strong decline and range contraction, it can be locally fairly common and overall it is the least rare species of Pseudoscaphirhynchus (P. fedtschenkoi is possibly extinct and P. hermanni only survives in very small numbers).

[1] Although the Amu Darya sturgeon is a fully protected species throughout its range,[8] illegal fishing is widespread and fisheries management in the region is very poor.

[9] Since 2010, Eurasian Regional Association  of Zoos and Aquariums (EARAZA) together with various Russian and Uzbekistan institutes as well as officials of Tajikistan) has attempted to start a breeding program for the Amu Darya sturgeon, but as of 2021 it has not succeeded (in 2020  Khorezm Mamun Academy in Khiva (Khorezm province branch of Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan) - the main partner in the program) has temporary stopped shovelnose conservation project because of lack of financial support) although some progress was made (the eggs were incubated in the field in 2012 but the embryos died).

[8] The karyotype of the Amu Darya sturgeon consists of roughly 118–120 chromosomes; it is classified as a low-chromosome group acipenserid fish.

Studies of its genetics and karyotype show clear differences compared to the shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus), indicating that the usually recognized subfamily Scaphirhynchinae is polyphyletic.