paddlefish

American  

[pad-l-fish] / ˈpæd lˌfɪʃ /

noun

• paddlefishes,
  plural
• paddlefish
  plural

1. a large ganoid fish, Polyodon spathula, of the Mississippi River and its larger tributaries, having a long, flat, paddlelike snout.

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paddlefish British  

/ ˈpædəlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. a primitive bony fish, Polyodon spathula, of the Mississippi River, having a long paddle-like projection to the snout: family Polyodontidae

2. a similar and related Chinese fish, Psephurus gladius, of the Yangtze River

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• paddlefish
  plural
• paddlefishes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of paddlefish

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90; paddle ¹ + fish

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paddlefish paddlefishes

During and DePalma spent 10 days in the field together, unearthing fossils of several paddlefish and species closely related to modern sturgeon called acipenseriformes.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 6, 2022

In 2020 alone, 16 species were declared extinct, including the Chinese paddlefish.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 21, 2022

He saw one of the paddlefish fossils with spherules in its gills and is convinced that the site does indeed capture the day of the cataclysm and its immediate aftermath.

From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2022

Even though modern bony fishes are much more diverse today, a previous study found that in the past they were not as numerous or varied as holosteans—the prehistoric relatives of today’s gar and paddlefish.

From Scientific American ● Mar. 23, 2022

He spoke of it to his friend of the paddlefish investigation.

From The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries by Francis Rolt-Wheeler

Chemical evidence from one of the paddlefishes indicated that food availability was increasing as it does in springtime, but not at peak summer levels.

From Reuters ● Feb. 23, 2022

Among the survivors were paddlefishes and sturgeons, which survive to this day.

From Reuters ● Feb. 23, 2022

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