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Paddlefish Restoration Plan

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Paddlefish Restoration Plan Progress Paddlefish with Restoration Cruising in the murky waters of west- by Dudley Parr ern Pennsylvania’s big rivers is one of the oldest and largest freshwater fishes of North America. With its long, paddle-shaped snout, grayish-colored body, and large tail, this creature looks like a cross between a swordfish and a shark. But this gentle giant has no teeth and feeds only on zooplankton and aquatic insect larvae that it filters from the water. In the South, this liv- ing relic is called the spoonbill. Known as Polyodon spatula to the biologist, this creature is the paddlefish. Paddlefish can live to be 30 or more years old. As one of the largest freshwa- ter fishes, paddlefish may grow to six feet or more in length and weigh more than 100 pounds. Paddlefish vary in color from black to bluish-gray, which fades to white on the sides and belly. The skin is smooth and nearly scaleless. They have small eyes near the base of the rostrum (snout), providing only poor vision. The large tail, with the top portion bigger than the bottom por- tion, gives them a shark-like appear- ance. The mouth is large and toothless, but combined with the closely set gill rakers, the mouth makes an effective seine to filter the zooplankton on which it feeds. The elongated oper- cula (gill covers) allow for expan- sion of the gill openings and mouth while filter-feeding. Another characteristic that Paddlefish can live to be marks the paddlefish as an ancient fish is its skeleton. 30 or more years old. The skeleton is made en- tirely of cartilage except for As one of the largest freshwater the jaw, which is bone. The paddle-shaped rostrum, fishes, paddlefish may grow to six feet as the snout is properly called, is approximately one-third the fish’s or more in length and weigh more than total length. Although paddlefish fry are not born with the bill for which they 100 pounds. are named, the rostrum starts growing photo-Craig Bihrle photo-Craig shortly after birth. Biologists are not sure about the rostrum’s function. For years, many people believed wrongly that it was used to dig in the mud. The Fishing & Boating Memories Last A Lifetime Pennsylvania Angler & Boater 13 Operculum (gill cover) Paddlefish Polyodon spatula Elongated, swept-back shape helps water pass through efficiently while filter-feeding. Eyes Rostrum (bill) Small, weak eyesight. The paddle-shaped bill, for which the fish is named, may aid in balance while feeding and in detecting concentrations of zooplankton. General- The color of paddlefish varies from almost black to bluish gray, which fades to a white belly. The tail, triangular dorsal fin, and overall gray color give a shark-like look. The skeleton is all cartilage except for the jaw bone, which can be used to age the fish. Early Development Day 1 For a few days after hatching, paddlefish fry live off the yolk sac. Day 6 Once it is absorbed, the fry begin Day 3 larval stage consuming their lifelong diet of cell division zooplankton. At this tiny size, paddlefish Day 4 Day 5 pursue individual zooplankton. At this stage, heartbeat individual zooplankton are enough of a mouthful. rostrum has many sensory and electro receptors every year, females require two or more years to that may aid in detecting concentrations of produce up to 10 to 12 pounds of eggs. The eggs zooplankton. The rostrum may help balance the are valuable as a source of high-quality caviar. fish while swimming with its large mouth open. Until 1960, little was known about paddlefish However, paddlefish that have lost part or all of spawning behavior or habitat requirements. Envi- the rostrum seem to suffer no ill effect and so ronmental conditions have to be just right for cast doubt on its true use. spawning to occur. Paddlefish need clean gravel bars with good current flows. The water tempera- Paddlefish biology ture must be near 60 degrees, the water flows must Paddlefish are found only in North America. be high and rising, and all of this needs to happen There is only one other species in the Polyodon in the spring. A sudden water level rise of six feet family, which is found in China. Paddlefish are has been documented to trigger spawning activity. found in the large, free-flowing rivers of the Mis- These environmental factors don’t coincide every sissippi Basin. They prefer backwaters, ox bow year. Thus, paddlefish may not spawn every year. lakes, and areas where currents are reduced. Big When spawning does occur, it is a simple act. A islands, bridge pilings, shoals, and sand bars large female, accompanied by a couple of usually provide such sheltered areas. Examples of good smaller males, swims over the selected gravel bar. paddlefish habitat in the Three Rivers area are Both sexes release their respective eggs and milt. the confluence of the Beaver and Ohio rivers, Fertilization occurs in the water and the eggs be- around Neville Island in the Ohio, and the is- come sticky. The sticky eggs adhere to the gravel lands and bridges at the upper end of Pool 2 on substrate so that they don’t wash away. The high the Allegheny. Although lakes and reservoirs water flow keeps the eggs well-oxygenated and can provide good feeding areas for paddlefish, keeps debris and silt from covering them. In about the dams that create them have inundated suit- a week, the eggs hatch and the larval paddlefish able spawning habitat and are barricades to are swept downstream to quieter nursery waters. paddlefish paddlefish during spawning migrations. In a few days, the yolk sac is absorbed and the from below Compared to most fish, paddlefish mature young fish feed first on small insects. Then they late in life. Males reach sexual maturity at seven begin their lifelong pursuit of zooplankton. to nine years of age, or after about one-fourth of Young paddlefish are not good swimmers. paddlefish their expected life span. Females mature at 10 to Their only defense from being eaten is to grow from above 12 years of age, or after about one-third of their large fast. It is amazing that the paddlefish can expected life span. Although males may spawn attain its great size feeding only on creatures the Walke and illustration-Ted graphics 14 Pennsylvania Angler & Boater Fishing & Boating Memories Last A Lifetime Heterocercal tail Spinal column curves up into the upper part of the tail. Triangular dorsal fin. Feeding Paddlefish swim through the water swinging their mouths from side to side. Paddlefish strain zooplankton from the water through their gill rakers. Range The rostrum probably serves to help detect concentrations of = historical distribution = restoration project zooplankton and maintain stability while swimming with its mouth open. Lake Erie Ohio River Allegheny River Clarion River Ohio River Allegheny River to L/D 6 microscopic view of zooplankton size of the period at the end of this sentence. been inadvertently “foul-hooked” and This means that volume of food is the key to released by Pennsylvania anglers in the paddlefish survival and growth. Ohio and Allegheny rivers. The paddle- In some states, paddlefish populations are fish season is permanently closed in healthy enough to support active sport fisheries. Pennsylvania. The flesh is compared to Because paddlefish feed on microscopic organ- swordfish in flavor and the roe (eggs) is isms, traditional fishing techniques are not suc- sought for caviar. A recent estimate of cessful. Most anglers catch paddlefish by the value of a pound of processed paddle- snagging. In recent years, a few paddlefish have fish eggs was $360. Fishing & Boating Memories Last A Lifetime Pennsylvania Angler & Boater 15 Reintroducing the paddlefish About 10 weeks after the eggs are re- Paddlefish have been swimming in ceived, the paddlefish have grown to the large rivers of the Mississippi Basin about 10 inches and are ready for stock- since before the dinosaurs. Until the ing. This usually occurs in early Au- early 1900s, their range included the gust. With the help of the local Ohio, Allegheny, Clarion, and waterways conservation officers, an av- Kiskiminetas rivers in Pennsylvania. erage of 10,000 young paddlefish are Paddlefish stocks declined throughout stocked each year. much of their range because of the So far, no surveys that target paddle- channelization of rivers, building dams, fish have been conducted. The Com- and degradation of water quality from mission is currently seeking a funding pollution. In Pennsylvania, paddlefish source for evaluation of the restoration are currently classed as extirpated. The efforts. However, the Fish & Boat Com- last documentation of paddlefish in mission does have some data on paddle- Pennsylvania waters was in 1919. To- Commission personnel tag each paddlefish fish in Pennsylvania. Since 1992 there day, the only paddlefish in Common- with a tiny coded wire. The coded wire have been a total of 12 reported paddle- wealth waters are those put there by the indicates where and when the fish was fish sightings. With each successive Fish and Boat Commission. hatched and stocked. It is inserted into the year, the average size of the fish sighted Since 1991, the Commission has been tip of the rostrum. If the fish is later has gone up. Six paddlefish were inad- stocking fingerling paddlefish in the collected, a tag detector will indicate the vertently snagged by anglers and re- Ohio and Allegheny rivers as part of its presence of the wire tag. The tag can then leased. (Remember, in Pennsylvania, Paddlefish Restoration Plan. In the late be recovered without killing the fish, and there is no open season on paddlefish.) 1980s, a private citizen from the Pitts- the origin of the fish can be determined.
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