Reproduction and Life History of the Paddlefish
The
reproduction of the Paddlefish is rather interesting and specific.
One of the specifics is weather. Weather plays a huge factor into
the reproduction of the Paddlefish. Temperatures must be at 55 to 60
degrees Fahrenheit and water levels must be higher than normal for
the specific area that the Paddlefish inhabits.
The location is also another specific. The prime location for
the reproduction of
dioecious Paddlefish is on a gravel bar that is over flooded
with water. The reason for this is when the female Paddlefish
releases her eggs a swarm of male Paddlefish come and release their
gametes, which is referred to as milt, and the eggs become sticky
quickly and stick to the surrounding area. The gravel basically acts
like an anchor for the now fertilized egg. The hatching of the egg
varies with the warmth of the water and other unknown factors but
when the egg finally does
hatch the gravel acts as an anchor—like I said—and holds the capsule
as the larva wriggles free. The larva then go through a
transformations that bring them into the state of a Paddlefish. Even
though the reproduction of a Paddlefish isn’t rocket science, we are
still facing a decrease in Paddlefish. The Paddlefish that are left
are mostly put on the
endangered species list.