Paddlefish Regulations 2008

[thecoleman]

this is something i didnt know how to tell how old your fish is


The best way that we know of is to use the lower jaw bone, called a dentary. We remove a section of the lower jaw and dry it for 1-2 months. Then we cut a thin cross-section of each jaw and interpret annual rings on it, much like interpreting tree rings. One ring is formed on the jaw each year. To do this accurately involves some rather sophisticated equipment. We also are investigating the use of ear bones, called otoliths, for aging the fish. The otoliths also exhibit annual rings. Although paddlefish may live as long as 50 to 60 years

[redmist]

That's kinda interesting, but do you really care how old a fish is when your chewing on it?

[thecoleman]

hey i didnt say i would do it i just thought it was cool

[thecoleman]

this is also kind of awsome

Paddlefish eggs hatch in seven days or less at temperatures of 65-70 degrees F

[ECHIV]

King Salmon in Alaska are kind of easy to age. Depending on the river they run in different size groups. Now this is the tricky part. The smaller fish are younger than the bigger fish. for instance on the Kenai river, the average fish weighs about 40 pounds and is 4 years old. The really big ones say 88- 100 pounds are eight years old. They eat good those few years they are in salt water.