American Paddlefish 2

10"x64"

Fossil records of paddlefish date back over 300 million years, nearly 50 million years before dinosaurs first appeared. American paddlefish are smooth-skinned freshwater fish commonly called paddlefish, but are also referred to as Mississippi paddlefish, spoon-billed cats, or spoonbills.

I first encountered the Paddlefish at age 5 while fishing with my Grandma on the Ouachita River below Remmel Dam. A fisherman had several laid out on the shore. I'm pretty sure I screamed in horror, having never seen such a fish.