Natchitoches handles six species of fish, in addition to the
Alligator snapping turtle and the
Louisiana pearlshell mussel.
Paddlefish The
paddlefish (
Polyodon spathula) is the only remaining member of the family Polyodontidae. Paddlefish are spawned and raised at Natchitoches until they are approximately in length, before they are released into the wild.
Striped bass Striped bass (
Morone saxatilis) are members of the sea bass family. Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery is working to restore the historical range and population levels of these fish.
Pallid sturgeon The
Pallid sturgeon (
Scaphirhynchus albus) is a member of the sturgeon family. The hatchery is working to develop spawning and culture techniques to raise a large number of Pallid sturgeon. Workers at the hatchery hope to raise enough of these fish to take the species off of the
Endangered Species List.
Channel catfish The
Channel catfish (
Ictalurus punctatus) is a member of the family
Ictaluridae. Natchitoches works to raise many of these fish for release into the wild.
Largemouth bass The
Largemouth bass (
Micropterus salmoides) is the most desired of all freshwater game. Because of this, these bass require the attention of resource management agencies. Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery raises over 1 million largemouth bass every year.
Bluegill The
Bluegill (
Lepomis macrochirus) is a fish that is quite easy to catch. The hatchery raises many of these fish every year. ==References==