Bowfin Fish: Description, Types, Pictures, & Fun Facts

Bowfin Fish: All You Need To Know

The Bowfin fish (Amia calva) is a ray-finned carnivorous fish belonging to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygii, order Amiiformes, and family Amiidae. Amia is its genus. It is up to 20 to 43 inches in length and weighs up to 21 pounds, with a lifespan of 10 to 12 years.

The bowfin fish is a freshwater fish that feeds on crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and other fish. Alligators, other bowfins, and humans, prey on bowfin fish. Its eyespot is the most distinguished characteristic.

The brown, black, and green colours, as well as being scales on the skin, are physical characteristics. The bowfin is a prehistoric fish that initially appeared during the Jurassic period.

The bowfin fish is a huge and persistent predator that hides in America’s freshwater bodies, scavenging lesser food. The present bowfin is descended from an old line of fish that lived between 145 and 200 million years ago during the Jurassic era.

It’s frequently referred to as a “primitive fish” or “living fossil” since it hasn’t altered much since its predecessors millions of years ago, yet it’s a contemporary species.

4 Incredible Bowfin Fish Facts!

1. The bowfin, like many ancient fish, is an air-breathing species that must return to the surface to take in oxygen on a regular basis. The enormous swimming bladder, which also functions as a lung, extends the length of the body. The gills have also been substantially changed to prevent them from collapsing when exposed to air. This is a suitable adaption for water that is low in oxygen.

2. The bowfin fish is said to rely on its scent as much as its sight.

3. Bowfin fish spend most of their days looking for food, although they can go for lengthy periods of time without eating.

4. The bowfin is known by a number of various names depending on where it is found. In the southern United States, mudfish, mud pike, and grindle or grinnel fish are all frequent names.

Bowfin Fish Classification and Scientific Name

Amia calva is the scientific name for the bowfin. Amia appears to be the Greek name for a different fish than the bowfin. Calva appears to be derived from the Latin word for scalp or skull, or alternatively smooth, which might relate to the bowfin’s unique scale-free head.

Various Bowfin Fish Species

The bowfin is the sole member of its entire genus, family, and order that is still alive today. Many more species have been discovered in the fossil record, but these appear to have vanished long ago.

Because of their striking resemblance in appearance, the bowfin fish and snakehead are sometimes confused, yet they belong to completely different and distantly related groups. It’s most likely a snakehead if it has a small head and a lengthy anal fin at the back bottom.

Bowfin Fish Appearance

The bowfin fish has a mottled green and brown coloration (which becomes almost yellow near the belly) as well as a black mark near the tail that may serve as a deterrent to other animals. This fish gets its name from its dorsal fin, which spans over half of the back with 46 to 50 delicate undulating rays.

A pair of pectoral fins around the head, a pair of pelvic fins in the mid-section of the lower body, and a small anal fin near the back complete the picture. The skull has huge teeth and is made up of two layers, one on top of the other for further protection.

Bowfins are solitary species at every time of the year except for the spawning season. At some point between late April and early June (depending on location), the male travels to shallow water and creates a nest by clearing away the vegetation to attract an appropriate female.

Once she’s found her mate, the female then deposits her eggs in the small depression of mud in the nest, and the male releases his sperm to fertilise them. A single nest can contain eggs from multiple females, many of them at different stages of development.

Bowfin Fish Distribution, Population, and Habitat

Between the Great Lakes in the north and the Gulf of Mexico in the south, the bowfin has a broad range in America (with the exception of the Appalachian Mountains). It enjoys temperate lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and streams, as well as practically everywhere with enough prey and freedom to roam.

Currently, there is no threat of extinction for this species. The bowfin is a species of least concern according to the IUCN Red List. Due to the continuing loss of wetlands in the United States, certain local bowfin populations may be diminishing, although overall population numbers appear to remain steady.

In nearly every ecosystem where it lives, the bowfin is an apex predator that sits at the top of the food chain. It hunts in a variety of areas throughout the day, shifting from deep water to shallower water at night.

Bowfin Fish Predators and Prey

The bowfin is a sluggish but deadly ambush predator that waits quietly in the darkness before stalking and attacking its prey. Crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and other fish, notably bowfins, are all eaten by this species. Its mouth moves quickly enough to provide adequate suction to effortlessly grab and suck in prey.

Adult bowfins have few natural predators due to their size and ferocity, with the exception of other bowfins and maybe alligators where their range overlaps. Bowfins in their early stages of development are frequently preyed upon. Bowfins are caught by humans, although not in significant numbers compared to other game fish.

Bowfin Fish Reproduction and Lifespan

Except for the breeding season, bowfins are a solitary species throughout the year. The male travels to shallow water between late April and early June and builds a nest by removing vegetation to attract an acceptable female.

Once she’s met her partner, the female lays her eggs in the little mud depression in the nest, and the male fertilises them with his sperm. Multiple females’ eggs can be found in a single nest, with many of them at different stages of development.

In many ways, the bowfin’s reproductive behaviour varies from that of most other fish species. First and foremost, it devotes considerable time to the care of children. Second, the man, not the woman, is in charge of the majority of parental responsibilities.

The majority of their responsibilities are limited to keeping an eye on the freshly hatched young, who are a tempting feast for other bowfins. In addition, because the sex ratio is significantly skewed toward males (about three males for every female), males may be extremely violent toward one another in the search for mates. A male who is successful in reproducing must be quite aggressive in defending the nest.

Bowfin eggs hatch only eight to ten days after fertilisation. The snout of the immature tadpole-like larvae has an adhesive mechanism that allows it to stick to the nest. The young will complete taking the entire yolk into their body after around seven to ten days and then depart the nest for forever.

Once they are self-sufficient, they will progress to consuming tiny insects such as water fleas. The majority of their food consists of other fish when they reach roughly four inches in length. The bowfin takes roughly three to five years to attain sexual maturity. In the wild, the usual lifespan is 10 to 12 years, while captive specimens have survived up to 30 years.

Bowfin Fish in Fishing and Cooking

The bowfin is regarded as inferior to most game fish by the majority of anglers due to its pasty texture and dull flavour. Their eggs are occasionally obtained and marketed as a less expensive alternative to caviar, although recreational fishermen usually catch them for amusement and enjoyment. One of the most intriguing characteristics of the bowfin is that once hooked, they put up a good fight.