Vertebrate Zoology

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paddlefish

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

paddlefish large freshwater fish, Polyodon spathula, of the Mississippi valley, also called spoonbill or duckbill and named for its flattened, paddle-shaped snout. The largest specimens weigh well over 150 lb (67.5 kg) and reach 6 ft (183 cm) in length. The snout may be a third of the length of the body; it is equipped with sense organs that assist the fish in finding its prey of small crustaceans, which it strains out with gill rakers (see gill ). Paddlefishes are primitive; unlike most modern fishes, they have skins with reduced scales, almost wholly cartilaginous skeletons, and upturned tail fins. They are uniform leaden gray in color. Valued as food fish, their greenish black eggs, like the more highly valued ones of the distantly related sturgeon , are used to make caviar . A Chinese species found in the Chang (Yangtze) River is said to grow to 20 ft (610 cm). Paddlefishes are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Acipenseriformes, family Polyodontidae.

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paddlefish

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

paddlefish Primitive bony fish related to the sturgeon and found in the basins of the Mississippi and Yangtze rivers. Blue, green or grey, it has a cartilaginous skeleton and a long paddle-like snout. Length: 1.8m (6ft). Family Polyodontidae.

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paddlefish

A Dictionary of Zoology | 1999 | | Copyright

paddlefish See POLYODONTIDAE.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "paddlefish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "paddlefish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-paddlefish.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "paddlefish." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-paddlefish.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Paddlefish and the World Caviar Trade. Magazine article from: Endangered Species Bulletin; 1/1/1998
	Paddlefish Return to Southern Tier.(paddlefish make a comeback in New York... Magazine article from: New York State Conservationist; 2/1/2000
	Paddlefish project holds out new hope for an old species; Scientists tag,... Newspaper article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN); 11/10/1996