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Missouri State Aquatic Animal - The Paddlefish

published on: 2/28/2003

Contributing Teacher(s): Calene Cooper,

Subject Area: Science/Life,

Grade Range: Upper Elementary (4-5)

Materials Needed:

• paper
• colored pencils
• scissors
• glue

Objective:

Essential Question:

Instructional Strategy:

Process Standards: Goal 1.1 develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research
Goal 1.2 conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
Goal 1.3 design and conduct field and laboratory investigations to study nature and society

Content Standards: SC1, SC3, SC5,

G.L.E.:

Time Allowance: 1 class period

Technological Resources:

Extensions:

Integration:

Differentiation:

Assessment:

Description: This lesson from a six lesson unit deals with the Missouri Symbol the Paddlefish.

Comments: This lesson is one of six lessons of a complete unit.

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Classroom Component:

NOTE:  This activity is provided free of charge by the Missouri Conservation Commission. See teacher resource order form available from the Commission.

Procedure: After assembly of models allow the students to develop creative ways to display these paddlefish throughout the classroom or school. Perhaps your students could build a model of the Missouri River which is the natural habitat of the paddlefish.

Directions: Color all body parts before cutting them out. The paddlefish is darker on top and has a white belly. Fins and back of the fish should be colored a greenish gray. See An Introduction to Missouri Fishes or the Missouri Fishes Poster available from the Missouri Department of Conservation for more details on the coloring. Cut out the parts and assemble as directed on the pages. It is recommended that the body be stuffed with tissue or paper towels as well as the paper scraps left from cutting out the parts. This adds strength and structure to the model.

Slightly fold the center line of the paddle and add the support piece provided so that the long snout does not droop after assembly.

Background Information on Missouri State Aquatic Animal - Paddlefish

Paddlefish live in the rivers and reservoirs of the Mississippi River drainage system. It is one of two members of a primitive group of fishes having shark-like fins and an oar-like snout that extends over its mouth. The snout looks like a paddle, hence the common name, paddlefish. It is also commonly called the spoonbill, spoonbill cat, shovelnose cat, and the boneless cat. Its scientific name is Polyodon spathula, which is Greek means "many tooth" (polyodon) and in Latin "spatula or blade" (spathula). In all the world there are only two of these kind of fishes; the American paddlefish and the Chinese Psephurus gladius of the Yangtze River Valley. These two fish form the family, Polyodontidae. These two fish are truly fossil fish. They are the remnants of the family of fish that have existed for millions of years. There were paddlefish on our planet before the dinosaurs.

Although they are called Polyodons, they have no teeth. Paddlefish are called strainers as they strain tiny animals or zooplankton from the waters in which they live. They have gill rakers attached to their gill arches which remove the food they need as they swim with their mouths open wide. The long snout is covered by a system of sense organs and may function as a device for locating concentrations of food organisms.

As a fresh water fish, paddlefish can be found throughout the Mississippi Valley, especially in Osage and Missouri Rivers. At the turn of the century they were overhunted for their meat and roe (eggs used as cavier). Their population has been reduced so drastically that commercial catches have gone down from 2,500,000 pounds in 1899 to less than 5,000 pounds annually today.

Paddlefish must spawn in silt-free gravel bars that are flooded during spring rains. They normally live in deeper muddier waters such as in the Lake of the Ozarks. During spawning a single female lays hundreds of eggs as she rushes a considerable distance over a stream bed. Several males follow depositing milt or sperm onto the eggs. The eggs are very sticky and they attach themselves to the stream bed immediately. Eggs hatch in nine days and begin to grow their snout 2 to 3 weeks after hatching. Young paddlefish grow very rapidly attaining lengths of 10 to 14 inches in their first year. Paddlefish are very long lived with 20 to 30 years being common lifespans. Some American paddlefish have reached weights of 72 kg (160 pounds) and lengths of 2 meters. The Chinese paddlefish is about twice this size.

Paddlefish are a protected species because their numbers are so low and because of their rarity throughout the world. They have become endangered due to overfishing and habitat destruction. Stream channelization and drainage of bottomland lakes has eliminated much of their feeding habitat and spawning grounds. Missouri Department of Conservation and many other states' conservation departments have breeding programs for these rare fish. Sport fishing is controlled but allowed with a daily limit of two fish during an open season from March 15 to April 30. Paddlefish do not go for baited hooks, but must be snagged with treble hooks. One of the most popular areas for paddlefishing is below Bagnell Dam on the Osage River. The paddlefish because it is one of the most primitive rayed fishes is of considerable significance to scientists doing biological research.

The Missouri Department of Health has issued precautions about eating many fish taken from the Missouri River and the northern part of our state. The fatty meat of the paddlefish may contain measurable levels of chlordane, a now banned insecticide. It is recommended that one eat no more than one pound of this fish per week. Cooking methods should avoid pan frying or soups and chowders. The fatty portions of the dorsal, lateral and belly areas should be trimmed away.

Paddlefish Pedigree Kingdom-Animalia ->Phylum--Chordata      ->Subphylum--Vertebrata           ->Class--Osteichthyes                ->Order--Acipenseriformes                     ->Family--Poloyodontidae                          ->Genus--Polyodon                               ->Species--Polyodon                                    spathula Paddlefish Websites: http://ifw2irm2.irm1.r2.fws.gov/fishery/species/paddlefish.html http://wwwaux.cerc.cr.usgs.gov/micra.pscomm.html http://www.und.nodak.edu/org/ndwild/paddlefish.html http://wwwaux.msc.nbs.gov/MICRA/PADDLEFI.HTML http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/pad/pad.html http://www.gen.umn.edu/faculty_staff/hatch/fishes/paddlefish.html http://www.earthwave.org/paddlefish.html  (Note to teachers: This website describes an award winning documentary "The Paddlefish: An American Treasure". The video is described on this website and directions for ordering are given.)

© Joseph R. Tomelleri permission to reproduce received 6/21/00

© Joseph R. Tomelleri permission to reproduce received 6/21/00

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