paddlefish

American  

[pad-l-fish] / ˈpæd lˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

paddlefishes,

plural

paddlefish

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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Etymology

Origin of paddlefish

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

Example Sentences

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

Dr. Shubin suspected that Qikiqtania abandoned the walking habit that its ancestors had recently evolved, opting instead to swim in the open water something like a modern paddlefish.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2022

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

From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 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 Rolt-Wheeler, Francis