American Paddlefish [Polyodon spathula]
Description
The American Paddlefish, also known as the Mississippi Paddlefish or Spoonbill, is a species of basal ray-finned fish closely related to sturgeons in the order Acipenseriformes. Native to the Mississippi River Basin, this species is characterized by its long, paddle-like rostrum or snout, which can be up to one third of the fish's body length. The body is smooth and scaleless, while the tail is heterocercal, with the upper lobe longer than the lower one. These filter feeders primarily consume zooplankton.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Segmented Worms
Annelida
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Polychaetes
Polychaeta
|
| Order |
Canalipalpata
Canalipalpata
|
| Family |
Polyodontids
Polyodontidae
|
| Genus |
Paddlefish
Polyodon
|