Bowfin
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Amiiformes Hay, 1929
Family:	Amiidae Bonaparte, 1838
Genus:	Amia Linnaeus, 1766
Species:	A. calva
Binomial name
Amia calva Linnaeus, 1766

Bowfins are an order (Amiiformes, pronounced /əˌmaɪ.ɨˈfɔrmiːz/) of primitive ray-finned fish. Only one species, the bowfin Amia calva, family Amiidae, survives today, although additional species in six families are known from Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Eocene fossils. The bowfin, the gar, and the sturgeons are among the few extant freshwater fish that were contemporaries of the dinosaurs.

Bowfins are found throughout eastern North America, typically in slow-moving backwaters and ox-bow lakes. When the oxygen level is low (as often happens in still waters), the bowfin can rise to the surface and gulp air into its swim bladder, which is lined with blood vessels and can serve as a lung.

[edit] Description and biology

The most distinctive characteristic of the bowfin is its very long dorsal fin consisting of 145 to 250 rays, and running from mid-back to the base of the tail. The caudal fin is a single lobe, though heterocercal^[1]. They can grow up to 109 centimetres (43 in) in length, and weigh 9.75 kilograms (21.5 lb).^[2] Other noticeable features are the black "eye spot" usually found high on the caudal peduncle, and the presence of a gular plate. The gular plate is a bony plate located on the exterior of the lower jaw, between the two sides of the lower jaw bone.

The bowfin is an indiscriminate predator that readily preys on a broad variety of arthropod and vertebrate prey, from insects and crawfish to other fish and frogs.

Males are said to turn "bluish" when breeding [1]. The male bowfin exhibits extensive parental care. The male clears an area in the mud for the female to lay eggs in, and then fertilizes them. He hovers nearby and aggressively protects the eggs and the fry after they emerge.^[3]

[edit] Fishing

Bowfin are not considered a good food fish compared to more popular freshwater gamefish species, such as pike or trout. They are generally considered "trash" fish by sportsmen, and are scorned for their voracious appetite for more desirable species. They will occasionally strike - and sometimes ruin with their powerful jaws - artificial lures, but they generally strike on live or cut fishes. They also naturally consume copious numbers of live crayfishes in many rivers. When hooked, Bowfin battle powerfully, offering a tremendous fight to the angler. Bowfin should be handled carefully, as they have very sharp teeth. They will continue to struggle even when pulled out of the water, and will attempt to bite anyone who is handling them.

The list of local and alternate names the bowfin is known by is lengthy, but common ones include "dogfish", "mudfish", "grindle" (or "grinnel"),"swamp muskie", "black fish", "cottonfish" and "lawyer". In parts of S. Louisiana they are called "tchoupique" or "choupique".

[edit] Gallery

Calamopleurus cylindricus fossil

Bowfin from the Coosa River near Wetumpka, Alabama(Released)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Amia calva

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amia calva

• Bowfin Anglers' Group
• FishBase info for Amiidae
• Bowfin info by Brent Courchene
• Bowfin Taxonomy