PADDLEFISH

American paddlefish are an ancient species of fish that date back 400 million years. This means paddlefish lived before dinosaurs! They are one of the largest freshwater fishes in North America, and they can live for over 50 years.

Paddlefish are toothless. You may expect a large paddlefish would eat large prey, but they feed on zooplankton, which are very tiny aquatic animals. Paddlefish feed by swimming with their mouths open and allowing their close-set gill rakers to capture their microscopic food.

Can you see the filter-feeding in action?

Shreveport Aquarium rears this threatened species with help from the Caddo Lake Institute. When they are big enough, they will be released back into the Caddo waterways. The Louisiana wetlands and their unique species are of global environmental importance. Getting to contribute to its diversity and health is an honor.