Paddlefish and Bowfin Roe

Discover paddlefish and bowfin roe, from the American fisheries that produce them to the story of the extinct Chinese paddlefish. These guides offer a clear path through how the roes are named and regulated, with conservation in view throughout.

Paddlefish Roe: American Spoonbill Caviar (Polyodon spathula)

Discover the fish behind paddlefish roe, its grey beads and why its caviar label depends on which rules apply.

Read →Paddlefish Fisheries: Wild Roe Harvest and Conservation Rules

Explore state harvest rules and find out why permission to keep a paddlefish does not automatically allow its roe to be sold.

Read →The Extinct Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius)

Discover the Chinese paddlefish, a Yangtze predator over seven metres long, and learn how researchers traced its disappearance.

Read →Bowfin Roe: Choupique "Caviar" (Amia calva)

Discover why Louisiana’s choupique roe is not sturgeon caviar, how bowfin species differ and what to know about the fishery.

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