No Bones About It
A paddlefish doesn’t have a single bone in its body. Its skeleton is made of cartilage, the same tissue found in the tip of your nose.
Big Fish, Tiny Food
Paddlefish pack on pounds by eating itty-bitty crustaceans, insects, and other animals that drift as plankton.
Sensitive Snout
A paddlefish’s snout detects electrical signals put out by living creatures. This helps the fish zero in on clouds of plankton.
Filter Feeder
Paddlefish swim with their mouths wide open. As water flows in, comblike “teeth” in the gills trap plankton to eat.
Gooey Eggs
Paddlefish eggs stick to whatever they touch. This keeps them from getting swept away by river currents.
Also In This Issue
From sky-blue robin eggs to jiggly, jellylike frog eggs, baby wrappers come in an astonishing array of sizes, shapes, and colors.
Join Slimy the Salamander for a look at the lives of a few amazing amphibians.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Designer – Marci Porter
Designer – Les Fortenberry
Art Director – Cliff White
Editor – Matt Seek
Subscriptions – Laura Scheuler
Magazine Manager – Stephanie Thurber