paddlefish

[ pad-l-fish ]

noun

, plural pad·dle·fish·es, (especially collectively) pad·dle·fish.

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

paddlefish

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of paddlefish¹

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

Example Sentences

To determine season of death, both During’s and DePalma’s teams reported isotopic signatures taken from fossilized fin bones of paddlefish thought to have been killed minutes to hours after the asteroid’s impact.

From Science Magazine

He did so, and later also sent a partial paddlefish fossil he had excavated himself.

From Science Magazine

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

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

From Washington Post

“In 2020, one of the contenders for the world’s largest freshwater fish, known as the Chinese paddlefish, was declared extinct,” Dr. Hogan said.

From New York Times