Paddlefish

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Paddlefishes
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Scientific classification
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acipenseriformes Family: Polyodontidae \n
Species
\nPolyodon spathula \nPsephurus gladius \n

Paddlefishes (family Polyodontidae) are bizarre-looking primitive ray-finned fisheses whose snouts are greatly elongated, about 1/2 the length of the rest of the body. There are only two living species: the Chinese and the Mississippi. The Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) lives in the Yangtze River. 3-meter specimens weighing 300 kg have been recorded; the reports of 7-meter fish are doubtful. The Mississippi paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) lives in the slow-flowing waters of the Mississippi River system.

External links

\n* FishBase entry for Polyodontidae\n* USGS UMESC Paddlefish Study