What do paddlefish eat?
Paddlefish feed mostly on tiny, often microscopic animals called zooplankton. They filter, or strain, the zooplankton from the water with filament – like gill rakers by swimming with their mouth wide open. In some places, paddlefish also eat aquatic insects and, occasionally, small fish, but zooplankton is the main food in lakes and reservoirs. That’s why paddlefish won’t rake baits, and why they are snagged. Interestingly, very young paddlefish will “bite” at small food particles, but soon switch to filtering for their food as they grow and need more energy.
