Paddlefish: Freshwater Fish, Not Ocean Dwellers

True paddlefish (family Polyodontidae) live exclusively in freshwater rivers and lakes. They are not ocean fish.

Species

• American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) – Mississippi River basin (historically Great Lakes to Gulf). Now restricted; reintroduced in some areas. Filter-feeds on zooplankton with enormous rostrum.
• Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) – Yangtze River. Declared extinct (2020); last seen 2003. Overfishing, dams (Three Gorges), habitat loss.

Why the Confusion?

Several marine fish have "paddlefish" or "spoonbill" in common names due to similar rostrums:

• Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) – Billfish, oceanic.
• Sawfish (Pristis spp.) – Ray with toothed rostrum; coastal marine/estuarine.
• Spoonbill Catfish – Sometimes used for paddlefish, but also for marine catfish.
• Paddle-tail Swimmers – Various reef fish.

Key Distinction

• Polyodontidae (paddlefish): Freshwater, cartilaginous skeleton, filter feeders, no teeth, long paddle rostrum with electroreceptors.
• Marine "lookalikes": Bony fish (swordfish) or rays (sawfish); predatory; different taxonomy.

If you catch a paddlefish in a river, it's the real thing. In the ocean, it's something else.