American paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

Vulnerable Polyodontid Fish of North American Waters

American paddlefish is a freshwater fish from North America. It inhabits freshwater habitats. The species reaches a recorded maximum of 221 cm.

Class: Cartilaginous Ganoids
Order: Sturgeons and Paddlefishes
Family: Polyodontidae
Genus: Polyodon
Maximum length: 221 cm
Water: Freshwater
Body shape: elongated
Distribution: 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.
Conservation status: VUVulnerable

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