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.

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