Habitat

According to the Official Web site of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, paddlefish can be found in many open water areas. They are primarily found below the Fall Line in the Mobile basin and in the Tennessee River. However, we cannot find them in coastal rivers. They usually like living in water that is more than four feet deep; they can be commonly found in the Mississippi River basin from New York to Montana and south of the Gulf of Mexico (Texas Parks and Wildlife). They have also been known to live in the Red River’s tributaries. Paddlefish are a migratory species and are seen to gather below dams to reproduce during March and April. Reproduction happens between one female and sever males in open water. The eggs float downstream as they fall to the bottom where they stay until they hatch. Once they hatch, they grow rapidly, getting 12-14 Inches in length by the end of their first year. It is also said that paddlefish can live to be 20 to 30 years old.