Two Truths, One Lie

By MDC | March 1, 2026
From Xplor: March/April 2026
Body

Which fascinating fact is actually a fib?

  1. A paddlefish’s snout detects electrical signals put out by itty-bitty crustaceans, insects, and other animals that drift in the water as plankton.
  2. Except for its jaw, a paddlefish doesn’t contain any bones. Its skeleton is made of cartilage, the stiff-but-bendy tissue found in the tip of your nose.
  3. Like other plankton-eaters, such as whales, paddlefish grow quite large. The biggest ever caught was 18 feet long and weighed over 5,000 pounds.
Body

3 (Paddlefish get big — but not that big. The largest ever caught weighed 198 pounds and was over 7 feet long.)

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This Issue's Staff

Artist – Matt Byrde
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Designer – Marci Porter
Art Director – Ben Nickelson
Editor – Matt Seek
Subscriptions – Marcia Hale
Magazine Manager – Stephanie Thurber