Coontail is usually less than a meter long and is found in relatively quiet water.  It has clusters of finely-forked leaves that appear bushy (like a raccoon's tail) at or near the end of the stems.  Leaves have small teeth along one side and are sometimes stiff with a coating of lime.  Coontail may harbor up to 50% more food organisms for fish and waterfowl than other aquatic plants because it has many fine branches available for colonization by small aquatic animals.