Paddlefish Animal Pictures

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Chinese paddlefish swims with open mouth.
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Over-fishing played a large role in the demise of this fish.

The American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
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By USFWS - https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89547873 native fish of indiana USFWS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paddlefish_01.jpg

Paddlefish, native fish of Indiana
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The Mississippi Paddlefish
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By USFWS Mountain-Prairie - Paddlefish fingerling, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87173975 USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Paddlefish typically reach 6" in length during the middle of the summer. They are usually around 10" when released in early September. Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, Yankton SD. Photo: Sam Stukel - USFWS https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paddlefish_fingerling_%2848727348901%29.jpg

Juvenile Paddlefish being released
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Paddlefish on white background
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American Paddlefish are classified as a primitive fish species, which means that they have many physical characteristics in common with the earliest fish.

American Paddlefish swimming in a stream
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The American Paddlefish is smooth-skinned and almost entirely comprised of cartilage.