Polyodontidae - paddlefish

There are two species of freshwater in this family. One species, the American paddlefish, is found in rivers and lakes in the central United States that are part of the Mississippi River drainage system. The other species, the Chinese paddlefish, is found in the Yangtze River in China.

Paddlefish have a very long flat snout that looks like a paddle and a very large mouth! They have electroreceptors on their snouts that may help them locate food. Paddlefish are filter feeders and eat zooplankton! They swim with their mouths open and gill rakers in their mouths snag zooplankton from the water!

The paddlefish in the Mississippi are 3-5 feet in length. The paddlefish in China can be as large as 20 feet in length. They are bony fish, but like sturgeons, much of their skeleton is cartilaginous and they have heterocercal caudal fins that look similar to the caudal fins found in sharks. Heterocercal caudal fins have two lobes that are unequal in size, and the upper lobe is larger than the lower lobe.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced
US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		American Paddlefish - Polyodon spathula

Additional Information

Key: Profile Photos Video Audio

American Paddlefish - Polyodon spathula
The paddlefish is found in 22 states that are part of the Mississippi River basin from New York to Montana and south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Paddlefish - Polyodon spathula
The paddlefish can be as much as 8 feet in length, but it is usually 3-5 feet in length.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Paddlefish - Polyodon spathula
Paddlefish were here before dinosaurs. They are the oldest surviving animal species in North America.
Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Chinese Paddlefish - Psephurus gladius
The Chinese paddlefish has not been seen in the wild since 1995.
Source: National Geographic Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School