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Fish Species |
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Paddlefish |
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Paddlefish resemble sharks not only by shape, but by their skeletons as well. Both paddlefish and sharks have skeletons made of cartilage and not bone. Paddlefish have no teeth and eat by swimming through the water with its mouth held wide open, scooping up tiny plants and animals in the water called plankton.
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Scientific Name:
Polydon spathula
Also Known As:
Spoonbill, Spoonbill cat, or Shovelnose cat.
Average Size:
Up to 87 inches (221 cm)
Average Life Span:
Known to live 30 years
Habitat:
Paddlefish like to live in slow moving water of large rivers or reservoirs,
usually in water deeper than four feet (130cm).
The underside of the paddlefishís "paddle" is covered with taste buds (like the ones on your tongue) and probably helps it to find places where plankton is the most abundant.
Identifying Marks:
Gray, shark-like body with deeply forked tail,
Long, flat blade-like snout (looks like a kitchen spatula)
almost one third of bodyís entire length,
Opens huge mouth when feeding,
Skeleton made of cartilage,
Has no scales,
Gill cover is long and comes to a point,
Tiny eyes
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| All Species List: |
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Paddlefish |
Parrotperch, Japanese (Ishidai) |
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Parrotperch, spotted (Ishigakidai) |
Payara |
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Pellona, Amazon |
Perch, Nile |
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Perch, white |
Perch, yellow |
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Permit |
Pickerel, chain |
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Pike, northern |
Pollack, European |
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Pollock |
Pompano, African |
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Pumpkinseed Sunfish |
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