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American paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)Vulnerable
Fishfilter-feeder

The spadefish, or American paddlefish, is a freshwater fish found in rivers like the Mississippi. Known for its long, paddle-shaped snout, it uses thousands of sensory receptors to hunt zooplankton. This ancient fish has been around for millions of years and is a close relative of sturgeons.

  • Its paddle-shaped snout is nearly one-third of its body length.
  • It uses thousands of sensory receptors to find zooplankton.
  • It shares a close evolutionary relationship with sturgeons.
FreshwaterNorth America
Photo sourceRead more on Wikipedia

At a glance

Classification
Fish
Scientific name
Polyodon spathula
Habitat
Freshwater
Regions in this directory
North America
Diet
filter-feeder
Relative size
large
IUCN Red List
Vulnerable (VU)
Look up the latest IUCN assessment

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