Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery facts for kids

The Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery is a special place in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA. It's like a nursery for fish! Here, experts help fish to lay eggs, hatch, and grow into young fish. This hatchery works with warm water fish species.

What's Inside the Hatchery?

The Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery has many ponds. There are 53 ponds in total. Each pond is about 0.8 acres (3,200 square meters) big.

The hatchery also has a special classroom. It's called the Harold B. Wales Environmental Education Classroom. Students from kindergarten all the way to twelfth grade use it. Teachers also come here for workshops. The classroom can hold 32 students. It has 16 microscopes for students to use.

Meet the Fish and Other Animals

The Natchitoches Hatchery takes care of six different kinds of fish. They also help two other amazing animals. These are the Alligator snapping turtle and the Louisiana pearlshell mussel.

Paddlefish: Ancient Swimmers

The paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) is a very old type of fish. It's the only one left in its family! Hatchery workers help paddlefish to reproduce. They raise the young fish until they are about six to ten inches (254 mm) long. Then, these young paddlefish are released into rivers and lakes.

Striped Bass: Bringing Them Back

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are part of the sea bass family. The Natchitoches Hatchery is working hard to help these fish. They want to bring back the number of striped bass. They also want to help them live in places where they used to be found.

Pallid Sturgeon: Saving an Endangered Species

The Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) is a type of sturgeon. This fish is on the Endangered Species List. This means it's in danger of disappearing forever. The hatchery is learning how to help them reproduce. They want to raise many Pallid sturgeon. Their goal is to help this species so it is no longer endangered.

Channel Catfish: A Popular Fish

The Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is a well-known fish. It belongs to the Ictaluridae family. The Natchitoches Hatchery raises many of these catfish. They are then released into the wild.

Largemouth Bass: A Favorite for Anglers

The Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a very popular fish for fishing. Because so many people like to catch them, they need special care. The Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery raises a lot of them. They produce over 1 million largemouth bass every year!

Bluegill: Easy to Catch

The Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a fish that is quite easy to catch. The hatchery raises many of these fish each year.