| American paddlefish can often be seen swimming around with their very large mouths wide open. |
| American paddlefish are predators of zooplankton and prey to other fishes, birds, and humans. |
| Of the former one species is Chinese, and the other is the shovel-nosed spoonbill or paddlefish of the lower Mississippi River. |
| Also, being closely related to sturgeons, American paddlefish produce highly coveted roe, or caviar. |
| The tail fin of most ray-finned fish, with the exception of sturgeons and paddlefish, is homocercal, nearly symmetrical about the midline. |
| American paddlefish are mainly freshwater fish but can survive in brackish water. |
