CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia is home to a wide variety of fish, but the largest species is facing population difficulties.
According to the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR) the American paddlefish is the largest fish species you can find in the Mountain State, measuring up to five feet in length and weighing as much as 200 pounds according to the Virginia Tech Virtual Aquarium. The toothless fish eat by swimming with their mouths open while their gills filter out plankton and other small insects and fish, and can be identified by their lack of scales, bluish-gray color and long paddle-shaped rostrum.
This fish was believed extinct before being found in West Virginia
While the fish can now be found in the Ohio and Kanawha rivers thanks to restoration efforts, they are still considered a “species of conservation concern” according to the WVDNR. The main issue the species faces is its delicate spawning conditions. Female Paddlefish do not spawn until they are seven to ten years old and will only spawn when water temperatures are between 55-60 degrees and when photoperiod and rising river flow conditions all occur at the same time, which are disrupted by the construction of dams.
The species is also targeted for its eggs to make caviar.
Because of these factors, fishing for paddlefish in West Virginia is currently prohibited. Should you catch a paddlefish, it should quickly be returned to the water.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the species as vulnerable in 2022.
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