Bowfin
Amia calva
Where is it found?
Rivers, streams and pools
Diet and foraging method
Key adaptations
Bowfins have an eyespot at the base of their tail, which is thought to confuse predators about which end is their head!
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
Polygynandrous mating system. Males build nests and females visit many male's nests and lay eggs in many nests.
Did you know that...?
Amia calva is the only living bowfin in its family, which originated 150 milllion years ago!
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"SheddFish" by Cody Hough - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SheddFish.JPG#/media/File:SheddFish.JPG
"Amia calva 3" by Stan Shebs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amia_calva_3.jpg#/media/File:Amia_calva_3.jpg
"Amia calva1" by Duane Raver/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - This image originates from the National Digital Library of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serviceat this pageThis tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.See Category:Images from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amia_calva1.jpg#/media/File:Amia_calva1.jpg
"SheddFish" by Cody Hough - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SheddFish.JPG#/media/File:SheddFish.JPG
"Amia calva 3" by Stan Shebs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amia_calva_3.jpg#/media/File:Amia_calva_3.jpg
"Amia calva1" by Duane Raver/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - This image originates from the National Digital Library of the United States Fish and Wildlife Serviceat this pageThis tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.See Category:Images from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amia_calva1.jpg#/media/File:Amia_calva1.jpg