National Museum Opened Paddlefish Exhibition
The Smithsonian display highlights the history and biology of the American paddlefish, Missouri's state aquatic animal.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Aquariums
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The National Museum of Natural History has launched a new exhibition titled From These Lands, which features two American paddlefish specimens. The display showcases the history of this unique species, which serves as the official aquatic animal of Missouri.
Why it matters
The American paddlefish is currently listed as globally vulnerable, following the extinction of its relative, the Chinese paddlefish, in the early 2000s. The exhibition highlights the importance of preserving this ancient lineage that has existed for 300 million years.
The exhibition displays two specimens, including one juvenile collected in Boone County, Missouri in 1992 and another catalogued in 1885. These prehistoric fish can reach seven feet in length and possess 70,000 ampullae on their rostrum to detect prey.
The players
National Museum of Natural History
A Smithsonian institution dedicated to documenting the natural world and preserving biological specimens.
The details
American paddlefish sustain themselves by swimming through the water with long, thin gill rakers to sieve out microscopic zooplankton. To locate these organisms, they use specialized ampullary organs on their elongated snout to sense electrical fields generated by the prey. This specialized feeding method has allowed the species to remain largely unchanged for 125 million years.
Timeline
One specimen was catalogued in 1885.
A juvenile paddlefish was collected in 1992.
The Chinese paddlefish went extinct in the early 2000s.
The exhibition opened on September 22, 2026.
The Home Front
The exhibit follows the pattern set by the extinction of the Chinese paddlefish by emphasizing the conservation of vulnerable aquatic lineages. It serves as a reminder of the long-term history of North American river ecosystems currently represented in the Mississippi River watershed.
If you are interested in native species, consider researching the aquatic life found in your own local waterways. Understanding these animals can help homeowners appreciate the importance of maintaining water quality in the broader Mississippi River watershed.
The takeaway
The American paddlefish remains a link to a 300-million-year-old biological history. Families visiting the museum can look for the distinct rostrum features that allow these fish to hunt in murky river environments.
Further reading
Learn more about local aquatic ecosystems in the Aquariums section of our site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Smithsonian Magazine.
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