paddlefish
noun
pad·dle·fish
| \ ˈpa-dᵊl-ˌfish
\
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Definition of paddlefish
: any of a family (Polyodontidae) of ganoid fishes
especially
: a large food fish (Polyodon spathula) of the Mississippi River and its tributaries with a long paddle-shaped snout and with roe used in caviar
Illustration of paddlefish
Examples of paddlefish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The baiji, a Chinese river dolphin, is likely the first dolphin species driven to extinction by humans, and the Chinese paddlefish, which can grow 20 feet long, has not been seen in over a decade. — Stefan Lovgren, National Geographic, "Earth’s largest freshwater creatures at risk of extinction," 8 Aug. 2019 Open river conditions often benefit native species like lake sturgeon and paddlefish, which can swim hundreds of miles in search of preferable habitat. — Steve Hoffman / Forum News Service, Twin Cities, "More invasive carp confirmed in Mississippi and St. Croix rivers," 29 June 2019 Catching a giant paddlefish weighing 50 or 100 pounds is an altogether different pursuit. — New York Times, "Hooking the Dinosaur of Fish," 26 May 2018 Bring a rod on the 8.8-mile Hell’s Half Acre loop, rich in paddlefish. — The Editors, Outside Online, "The 25 Trips You Need to Take This Year," 20 Mar. 2018 Open river conditions often benefit native species like lake sturgeon and paddlefish, which can swim hundreds of miles in search of preferable habitat. — Steve Hoffman / Forum News Service, Twin Cities, "More invasive carp confirmed in Mississippi and St. Croix rivers," 29 June 2019 In China, the installation of giant hydroelectric plants, such as the Ghezouba and Three Gorges Dams on the Yangtze River, has led to the likely extinction of the Chinese paddlefish, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish species. — Stefan Lovgren, National Geographic, "Two-thirds of the longest rivers no longer flow freely—and it's harming us," 8 May 2019 The article told the tale of a lucky angler who snagged a 100-pound-plus paddlefish (another name for spoonbill) while fishing for bluegill at Jacomo. — Tyler Mahoney Special To The Star, kansascity, "Lake Jacomo fisherman happens across a monster while fishing for bass," 13 June 2018 Lewis Shuckman, owner of Shuckman's Fish Co. in western Louisville, has been selling paddlefish caviar for almost 20 years. — Bailey Loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky is swimming with potential to take over the US caviar market," 28 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paddlefish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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