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Polyodon - Species in
Polyodontidae - - Classification -
- Polyodontidae
- Acipenseriformes
- Chondrostei
- Chordata
- Animalia
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Polyodon spathula
Picture by Moreau, J.
Pictures | Stamps, coins, misc. | Google image
Picture by Moreau, J.
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Chondrostei (sturgeons) > Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) > Polyodontidae (Paddlefishes)
Etymology: Polyodon: Greek, polys = a lot of + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335); spathula: From the words Poly, meaning many; don, tooth; and spathula, meaning blade or paddle (Ref. 10294).
More on author: Walbaum.
Etymology: Polyodon: Greek, polys = a lot of + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335); spathula: From the words Poly, meaning many; don, tooth; and spathula, meaning blade or paddle (Ref. 10294).
More on author: Walbaum.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 2 - ? m. Subtropical; 10°C - 18°C (Ref. 2060); 49°N - 29°N, 112°W - 77°W (Ref. 86798)
Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
North America: Mississippi River basin from southwestern New York to Montana and south to Louisiana; Gulf Slope drainagaes from Mobile Bay in Alabama, to Galveston Bay in Texas, USA. Formerly in Great Lakes basin, probably extirpated. At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 221 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 90.7 kg (Ref. 3221); max. reported age: 55 years (Ref. 46974)
Max length : 221 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 120 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 90.7 kg (Ref. 3221); max. reported age: 55 years (Ref. 46974)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Snout long, canoe-paddle-shaped; gill cover with large, fleshy, pointed flap (Ref. 86798).
Usually inhabits water deeper than 1.2 m in slow-flowing large rivers, lakes, and impoundments (Ref. 86798). Feeds on plankton. The extended upper jaw (= paddle) may help to channel plankton into the mouth. Threatened due to over harvesting, habitat loss and pollution (Ref. 58490).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Vulnerable (VU) (A2cd); Date assessed: 14 September 2019
Threat to humans
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | FishSource |
More information
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Tools
Bio-Quiz | E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree
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Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD50 = 1.2500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00646 (0.00431 - 0.00968), b=3.10 (2.99 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.1 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=6-9; tmax=30).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 29.6 [13.4, 59.0] mg/100g; Iron = 1.11 [0.65, 1.86] mg/100g; Protein = 18.1 [15.6, 20.7] %; Omega3 = 0.356 [0.139, 0.908] g/100g; Selenium = 71.4 [29.0, 167.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 11.8 [3.6, 39.5] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.737 [0.499, 1.125] mg/100g (wet weight);