Photo Copyright © 2005 Jim Jung and licensors. All rights reserved.

Paddlefish

The Paddlefish, or the Spoonbill Cat as it's sometimes called, is one of the river giants. Reaching up to five feet in length and weighing up to 160 pounds this very odd fish is one of the most interesting critters in our fauna. Paddlefish are primitive, shark-like creatures that lack bones. Their skeleton is made up entirely of cartilage (just like sharks) and they subsist entirely on near-microscopic plankton (like whales) while cruising large rivers with their mouths agape: any creature entering their mouth is trapped in their finely divided gill rakers and then swallowed.

Named for their long, paddle-shaped snout which apparently serves as a sort of aileron (to keep them from nosediving to the bottom from the tremendous drag caused by their huge, gaping mouths) paddlefish have aroused amazement and curiosity ever since their official "discovery" by western science in the 17th century.

Paddlefish ascend the larger tributaries of the Mississippi and Ohio, traveling upstream until they reach gravel bars where they actually spawn. Some observers report (presumably) male fish to breach - that is, they leap from the water and belly flop back in - as a prelude to mating.

Sadly this interesting creature has suffered since our civilization's arrival due to overfishing, pollution, siltation, channel modification but particularly from the construction of locks and dams which prevent individuals from reaching their ancestral spawning beds. As a result this once abundant species has gone into precipitous population decline. Large individuals - common in the 19th century - are almost never encountered nowadays.

But there is some good news! Recently small juvenile Paddlefish were recovered by fisheries biologists in the Mississippi River so at least some Paddlefish in the river are managing to reproduce successfully. Also Missouri still has a tightly controlled fishing season for this species on at least one river system so the species isn't in danger of going under just yet... but keep your fingers crossed. This is one to keep an eye on.

Offsite Link:

• Why the Paddlefish has its nose: Tuning in to Paddlefish, Missouri Conservationist Online.

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