SPRINGS FIELD GUIDE
BOWFIN
FISH PROFILE
COMMON NAME
Bowfin
Scientific name
Amia calva
FAMILY
LENGTH
average 2 ft, up to 3.5 ft
DIET
fish, amphibians, snakes, turtles and aquatic insects
FISH PROFILE
COMMON NAME
Bowfin
Scientific name
Amia calva
FAMILY
Amiidae family
LENGTH
2-3.5 ft
DIET
fish, amphibians, snakes, turtles and aquatic insects
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The bowfin can be up to 3 ½ feet long, with a cylindrical body. The most striking feature is a long dorsal fin running nearly the length of the body. This fin is particularly striking when moving in its characteristic undulating motion. Breeding males have turquoise lips, throat, and belly, with an eye spot on the upper caudal fin.
RANGE, HABITAT, and BEHAVIOR
Bowfin are native to central and eastern North America and prefer heavily vegetated areas. They are primarily nocturnal, stalking and ambushing prey at night such as smaller fish, aquatic invertebrates, and aquatic insects.
FUN FACTS
Bowfin, also known as “mudfish” or “lungfish”, are often described as “prehistoric relics”. This is because species of the Amiidae family can be traced to fossils from the Cretaceous, Eocene and Jurassic period – 150 million years ago! Today bowfin are the only surviving species from its family. Fossils show that bowfin very close to their present form have existed for over a hundred million years. Bowfin have an air bladder rich with blood vessels, allowing them to breathe air directly from the surface and survive in water with low oxygen levels. This also allows bowfin to bury themselves in the mud and survive for at least three weeks if their habitat dries up.
Bowfin could be mistaken for the similar-looking non-native snakehead. Both species have very long dorsal fins, but the snakehead will have a very long anal (underside) fin as well, while the bowfin have a short anal fin. The already strange-looking bowfin is made even stranger-looking by long tubular external nostrils. Be sure to look for those if you find a bowfin.