Lein, G. M. and D. R. DeVries (1998).  Paddlefish in the Alabama River drainage: 
population characteristics and the adult spawning migration. Transactions of the 
American Fisheries Society.  127:441-454.
	
Paddlefish Polyodon spathula were sampled by boat-mounted electrofishing and 
gill netting in the Tallapoosa and Cahaba rivers and in oxbow lakes of the 
Alabama River floodplain, Alabama, during January-June of 1992 and 1993. Tagging 
studies, characterization of spawning migrations, and comparative analyses of 
catches suggested that paddlefish in the Tallapoosa and Cahaba rivers 
represented functionally discrete populations that reside in the adjacent 
reservoirs. Variation in population characteristics appeared to be related to 
differences in the hydrologic and thermal regimes of the two study rivers and to 
differences in historical exploitation of populations in the two resident 
reservoirs. Growth (calculated via back-calculated body length at age) differed 
between populations in the upper and lower Alabama River, probably reflecting 
the relatively lentic (upper) and lotic (lower) nature of habitats in these two 
reaches. Life history characteristics of paddlefish in the Alabama River 
drainage differed from fish in the Mississippi River drainage. Growth, 
fecundity, spawning frequency, and age at maturity all were advanced for Alabama 
River fish relative to Mississippi River fish, whereas maximum age and size of 
Alabama River fish were less than had been previously reported for populations 
in the Mississippi River drainage. Differences between populations in the two 
drainages may reflect geographic variation in biotic and abiotic variables as 
well as long-term geographic and reproductive isolation.