THE BOWFIN FAMILY Amiidae

BOWFIN Amia calva Linnaeus, 1766

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE: Introduced. Prior to the late 1980's, the only record from Massachusetts was of a single specimen from Lake Onota in Pittsfield. In 1986, however, a number of specimens were found in an impoundment in Easthampton and the following year a large specimen was taken from the Connecticut River in Sunderland. A specimen was also reported from the fishlift at Lawrence on the Merrimack River in 1986. A young of the year (110mm SL), that was dropped by a kingfisher along the Connecticut River in Hadley in 1992 confirms reproduction in the wild. An adult male and female were identified from Lake Waldo, Brockton in 1996 by MDFW biologist Rich Hartley.