Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Voracious Bowfin
By: Tom Berg
One of the most fearless and voracious fish swimming around in the eastern United States today is the Bowfin. Also called dogfish, mudfish, mud pike, swamp trout and grindle, these hungry predators are always on the hunt for something to eat. Their preferred food is smaller fish, and almost any fish smaller than them is considered fair game.
Bowfin are fairly long, slender fish, and they can reach very respectable sizes. They are olive to greenish-brown in color, and males have a black eyespot on the base of the tail which often has a yellow or orange border. Their most characteristic trait is their very long dorsal fin which extends from the middle of their back almost all the way to their tail. This long fin undulates in the water rhythmically as the fish hovers in place.
Most bowfin caught by anglers average 2-4 pounds, but they can easily reach weights of 10 pounds or more. In fact, most state record bowfin weigh over 12-20 pounds. Once they reach adult size, they fear nothing. Although they make poor table fare, bowfin are excellent fighters and provide great sport when caught on hook and line. Due to their fearless attitude, they are one of the few fish that will often bite again right away after being hooked if they manage to get away.
Bowfin can occasionally be seen coming to the surface and gulping air. They do this to add air to their swim bladder, but this practice also helps them breathe if the backwaters they inhabit are low in oxygen. Bowfin are adapted to breathe air in this manner.
Years ago, it was standard practice to kill bowfin after catching them even though they were not going to be eaten. They were thought to be harmful since they eat other more desirable fish. However, we now know that native bowfin are beneficial to the ecosystems where they live, keeping panfish populations in check so they don’t overpopulate. This helps keep gamefish populations healthy, as well.
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