Bowfin << BOH fihn >> is a large freshwater fish that lives in eastern North America. It is a “living fossil” because it closely resembles fish that lived more than 200 million years ago. Its closest living relative is the gar (see Gar).
The bowfin lives in quiet, weedy waters. The male makes a nest and protects the eggs. After hatching, the young attach themselves to vegetation for seven to nine days using a special adhesive organ on the tip of the snout. The male bowfin guards the young until they are about 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Bowfins eat mainly other fish, frogs, and crayfish. They may live as long as 30 years in captivity. The bowfin is sometimes called dogfish.
