Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Paddlefish for Control of Filamentous Algae?

Paddlefish are able to uniquely locate and strain out mainly larger zooplankton of Cladocerans and or Copepods depending on seasonality. When available they will strain out small stages of insect larvae and fish fry. Feeding methods also cause them to at times inadvertently ingest up to 50% of their gut content as very small sand grains and detritus particles strained from the water column .

Because paddlefish gather food by methods of filtering – straining the water, the long strands of filamentous algae IMO are rarely if ever eaten because these spaghetti like strands and mats would plug, clog and become entangled in their physical feeding mechanisms and process. Thus their feeding mechanisms are very counter- productive for eating FA.