Scientific Name
Polyodon spathula
Other Names
Spoonbill, Spoonbill catfish, Shovel bill cat, Shovelfish, and Shovelnose
Description
Paddlefish are usually a dark purplish-gray color on the back with white sides and belly. Paddlefish can reach lengths of 6 feet and weigh as much as 100 pounds.
Habits and Habitat
Researchers once believed that the paddle was used as a shovel to find food; later, it was discovered that sensory organs cover the paddle, which is used to find food. The primary food sources for adult paddlefish are very small animals and insect larvae called zooplankton. Adults filter plankton using their gill rakers. Young paddlefish eat insects and large zooplankton. They are well-adapted to river systems, preferring large reservoirs and free-flowing rivers. Paddlefish spawn in late March or early April when water temperatures are between 58ºF and 62ºF. These fish spawn in swift-moving river waters with gravel bottoms. Paddlefish are most abundant in Mississippi in the Mississippi River and Delta rivers and oxbows.
State Record
The Mississippi State Rod and Reel record is 65 pounds, caught by Randy Pues in Ross Barnett Reservoir Spillway in 1974.
Fishing Fact
Paddlefish are harvested for their meat and their eggs (roe), which are desirable for caviar. The demand for paddlefish roe increased as European and Russian sturgeon roe availability decreased. These fish are harvested by snagging and by commercial netting.