Texas Fish Species: Paddlefish

These ancient fish are known to have existed for millions of years.  These relatives to sturgeon are native to the Mississippi River basin. Historically, paddlefish moved great distances and have been recorded traveling 1200 miles. Paddlefish are one of the largest, native freshwater fishes in North America, attaining lengths greater than six feet and weights over 100 pounds. Their name comes from the paddle-shaped rostrum.
 
Paddlefish have a large, toothless mouth on the underside of their head. Other than a patch on the tail, paddlefish are scaleless. The paddle-shaped snout makes up about one-third of its body length. The snout acts as stabilizer for the fish, as well receptors that aid it in detecting plankton, its primary food source. Body color is bluish gray on the back and cream underneath. The skeleton is cartilage. The tail is deeply forked with the upper lobe longer than the lower.
 
Paddlefish spawn when water temperatures approach the mid 50 degree Fahrenheit range in early spring. Adhesive eggs are deposited over gravel bars midstream where they stick to the substrate and hatch approximately a week later. After hatching the young get swept downstream where they find deep freshwater pools to grow to adulthood. Paddlefish are known to exceed 30 years of age. Sexual maturity occurs from 5 years for males to eight for female.  Large specimens can produce over a half-million eggs.
 
A migratory species, paddlefish congregate below dams to spawn during March and April. Spawning between one female and several males is believed to occur in open water. Floating downstream with the current, eggs drift to the bottom and stay there until hatching. Newly hatched individuals grow rapidly, reaching 12 to 14 inches by the end of their first year. Paddlefish are long-lived, reaching ages over 20 years.