Species Fact Profile: Bowfin (Amia calva)

                                                             Bowfin

                                           Amia calva (Linnaeus, 1766)

Range: Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada

Habitat: Lowland Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands

Diet:  Fish, Aquatic Invertebrates, Amphibians

Social Grouping:  Solitary

Reproduction:  Spawn between April and June, usually at night.  Male constructs nest in substrate at the bottom of the water, about 40-90 centimeters in diameter.  Females approach nests and deposits her eggs while male fertilizes eggs externally.  Male guards the 2000-5000 eggs for the 8-10 days of incubation, protects the larval hatchlings for the month or so after they hatch.  Sexually mature at 2-3 years old

Lifespan: 30 Years

      Conservation Status:  IUCN Least Concern

• Usually 50-70 (but up to 110) centimeters long, and can weigh up to 9.5 kilograms.  Females larger than males.  Body is elongated and cylindrical, with a single long dorsal fin running the length of the back and a single rounded caudal (tail) fin; its the dorsal fin which gives the fish its name
• Coloration olive green or brown in color, with some dark spotting.  A large dark eye spot is present in males (and sometimes in females) directly in front of the caudal fin, which can serve to confuse or misdirect predators
• Considered a living fossil because of its retention of some prehistoric characteristics, such as a bony throat plate and rounded caudal fin; one of only two surviving species of a group of fish that dates back to the Triassic (250 MYA)
• Have the ability to breathe both through their gills and through their lungs, gulping air from the surface.  Allows them to survive in low-oxygen conditions which would be fatal for other fish.  Well adapted to warm, acidic waters
• Have been observed aestivating in chambers dug  in the mud, sometimes prompted after being trapped in small pools during drought
• Commonly confused with the northern snakehead, which is now invasive in parts of its range
• Historically were considered a nuisance fish, one that predated more desirable game species, and there were efforts in some places to reduce their numbers.  Now more popular as a game species themselves because of their strength, fight.  Meat is typically not considered that desirable, but their eggs are a substitute for surgeon, sometimes sold as "Cajun caviar"