BOWFIN

also called Grindle, Mudfish, or Dogfish (Amia calva), freshwater fish of the order Amiiformes (superorder Holostei); it is the only living representative of its family (Amiidae), which dates back to the Jurassic Period (beginning about 180,000,000 years ago). The bowfin is a voracious fish found in sluggish North American waters from the Great Lakes southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The bowfin is mottled green and brown and has a long dorsal fin and strong conical teeth. The female reaches a length of 75 centimetres (30 inches); the smaller male is distinguished by a black tail spot circled with orange. The bowfin spawns in spring. The male constructs a crude nest among vegetation and guards both the fertilized eggs and the newly hatched young.