ANIMAL: Eyetail Bowfin Amia ocellicauda Type of Animal: Bowfin Habitat: Swamps, ditches, pools of sluggish streams, backwaters, oxbows, sloughs, barren river mudflats, shallow weedy lakes Location(s): Ranges from Great Lakes region S to Gulf Coast Appearance: Long stout-bodied fish, big mouth, long dorsal fin, rounded tail fin, resembles closely related ruddy bowfin, males greenish during spawning season Food/Diet: Gizzard shad, golden shiner, minnows, sunfish, suckers, bullheads, perch, smaller members of own species, crayfish, worms, insects, frogs Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Raised in hatcheries/fish farms for meat/roe Lifestyle: Adults solitary, younger fish sometimes school guarded by dad. Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Fry Group: School Weight: Male: 1-5 lbs Female: 3-8 lbs Gestation: 10 days Life Span: 10-30 years Body Length: Male: 1.3-1.5 ft Female: 2-2.25 ft Young: 0.5 ft Main predators of adults are alligators & otters. Larger bowfin prey on smaller bowfin. Also called eyespot bowfin, mudfish, mud pike, dogfish, grindle, grinnel, swamp trout, & choupique. These fish often referred to as “living fossils” and/or “primitive fish” due to external rounded tail fin, highly vascularized gas bladder lung, vestiges of spiral valve, & bony gular plate underneath head on lower jaw exterior between 2 sides of lower jaw bone. Sometimes mistaken for ruddy bowfin & burbot as well as invasive northern snakehead. They sometimes surface occasionally to renew air supply in swim bladder. These fish are more active at night (nocturnal). These fish are ambush predators. They spawn in spring & early summer. Nests can contain anything from 2,000-55,000 eggs. Maturity reached at 2 years old. This species & closely related Ruddy Bowfin were thought to be single species until 2022. Fun Fact(s): In areas w/ higher levels of toxins, there are signs warning against consumption of fish. Mercury bioaccumulates in tissue of larger predatory fish like bowfin. These fish have the ability to breathe both water & air. These fish once considered nuisance fish due to belief that predatory nature harmful to sporting fish populations. Many anglers view them as trash fish citing poor taste/texture & soft bland taste. These fish can be quite palatable if cleaned properly & smoked. These fish can also be fried, blackened, used in courtbouillion, & in fishballs/fishcakes. The roe (eggs) can be used for caviar & are often sold as “Cajun caviar” & Choupiquet Royale.” In fact, they’ve been used as substitute for sturgeons & paddlefish, which have become rare due to harvesting for caviar.
