The paddlefish isn't a relic. They just need a natural, free-flowing river to survive. And they have that here in North Dakota on the Missouri river, near Fort Union. The fish are measured, weighed, and a tag is slipped into each fish's jaw. The next angler catching the fish turns in the tag, so its migration can be determined.
Nobody is sure what the nose is for.
In may be used for balance. But it's not a shovel or a sword. It never eats another fish in its life. It's not a predator. It eats small plankton.