Dating back to the time of dinosaurs, I think spoonbill paddlefish are absolutely fascinating creatures. Their huge rostrum is an elaborate sensor, used by the fish both for navigation and to detect the faint electrical signals of the plankton the fish loves to eat. Once zooplankton are found, the paddlefish uses that shark-like tail to swim forward, mouth open, and strain enough of the tiny creatures to make a meal. And it can do all this in muddy river water…at night. Amazing! Video taken at M

SPOONBILL SPAWNING: For the past two weeks, MDC staff have been spawning paddlefish – AKA spoonbills -- at Blind Pony Hatchery near Sweet Springs. Staff collected and spawned 18 paddlefish broodstock females and 15 broodstock males in March from Truman Lake and the Osage River below Bagnell Dam. The fertilized paddlefish eggs are placed in special jars and take about seven days to hatch. The fry are kept for about another seven days inside the hatchery in special tanks before they are moved outs