|
Name: |
Paddlefish |
|
Other Common
Names: |
Spoonbill, spoonbill cat, spadefish, shovelfish, shovel-billed cat, duck-billed cat |
|
Scientific Name: |
Polyodon spathula |
|
Length: |
Average length is 40 inches |
|
Identification: |
Slate-colored above, lighter below; greatly elongated snout, long gill covers and a shark-like mouth; scaleless with a skeleton of cartilage |
|
Photo and text
courtesy of |
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Iowa Fish and Fishing by James R. Harlan and Everett B.
Speaker with James Mayhew; color illustrations by Maynard F. Reece Fishes of Wisconsin by George C. Becker |