Gars are large,
freshwater fish
belonging to the Lepisosteidae family, which consists of 7 species of gar: alligator, Cuban, Florida, longnose, shortnose, spotted, and tropical Gars have long,
cylindrical bodies
covered in hard, shiny,
diamond-shaped scales
.
What is the
rarest type
of gar?
The alligator gar is rare, endangered, and has even been extirpated from many of the outer areas of its range. Studies in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have shown that the alligator gar is very susceptible to overfishing.
What type of gar fish is there?
-
Alligator Gar (
atractosteus spatula
) . - Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus; with Bluegill) .
- Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) .
- Shortnose Gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) .
- Florida Gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus) .
- Tropical Gar (Atractosteus tropicus) .
- Cuban Gar (Atractosteus tristoechus)
How do you tell a gar species apart?
Gars are easily distinguished from other freshwater species by their long, slender, cylindrical bodies, long snouts, and diamond-shaped interlocking (ganoid) scales The tail fin is rounded. Dorsal and anal fins are placed well back on the body and nearly opposite each other.
Are gar and alligator gar the same?
Alligator gar are the largest species in the gar family , and among the largest freshwater fishes found in North America.
How many species of gar is there?
gar, any of seven species of large North American fishes of the genera Atractosteus and Lepisosteus, in the family Lepisosteidae.
What is a gold gar?
GOLDEN GAR!!! Check out this very rare xanthic Florida Gar found by fellow fish head M.Drawdy! “ Gold” appearance is caused by genetic condition resulting in excess yellow-orange pigment (similar to commercial Goldfish)🐟.
How rare is a gold gar?
The gene that causes this coloration is a recessive gene and only approximately 1 in 10,000 gar show this coloration.
How much does a platinum alligator gar cost?
Platinum Alligator Gar Selling for around $7000 each , a tank of Platinum Alligator Gar can easily cost you over $20,000.
What’s the difference between a Florida gar and alligator gar?
The alligator gar is also torpedo-shaped, and it has distinguishable ganoid scales from other fishes. These ganoid scales are bone-like with serrated edges and covered with an enamel-like substance. Unlike the Florida gar, the alligator gar’s upper jaw has two rows of sharp teeth to hold its prey.
What’s the difference between alligator gar and longnose gar?
Because of its large size, people are sometimes fooled into thinking a common longnose gar is a gator gar. However, for fish of the same length, alligator gar are much wider and have a distinct short, wide snout (alligator-like when viewed from above).
Can you eat needle nose gar?
Eating Gar, a Taste of the Primitive. There are two things you need to know about the Gar. The first is that it is very edible, really The second is that its eggs are toxic to mammals and birds.
Will a gar bite you?
Defenses. Although they may look ferocious, alligator gars pose no threat to humans and there are no known attacks on people They can pose a passive danger, though: The fish’s eggs are poisonous to humans if ingested. The toxicity of gar eggs serves as a defense mechanism against predators such as crustaceans.
What types of gar are in Texas?
But it is not just their looks that are unique. Alligator gar are like few other fishes that swim in our rivers, reservoirs and estuaries. Even among the four species of gar that occur in Texas, longnose, spotted, shortnose and alligator gar , this species is unique.
How old is a 6 foot alligator gar?
In general, for every additional foot the fish grows, its age doubles. A 3-foot gar is typically about 2.5 years old; a 4-foot gar about 5, and a 7-foot trophy catch might be 40 years old.
Are alligator gars aggressive?
If you bring an alligator gar (or any other large toothy fish) into the boat there is always the risk of injury if you are not careful, but gar are not aggressive toward people Their eggs are poisonous and should not be eaten.
How much does a golden gar cost?
Like its platinum cousin, the Golden Alligator Gar costs around $7000 They usually grow to about six feet in the wild and are a bright golden yellow-orange. Only about one in every 10,000 Alligator Gar have this rare gold coloration.
What is the smallest species of gar?
The shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) inhabits large parts of the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio river system in North America. The shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) is the smallest of the gar species, measuring up to 0.6 metre (2 feet) from head to tail.
How big can gar get?
Shortnose gar can grow a maximum length of 2.5 feet They grow over 7 inches within the first year and reach around 15 inches or more in 3 years. Spotted gar reach a maximum length of 3 feet and grow 10 inches in the first year and 20 inches within the third year.
Why are gar eggs toxic?
Roe. The flesh of gar is edible, but its eggs contain an ichthyotoxin, a type of protein toxin which is highly toxic to humans.
Can u eat gar fish?
The flesh of the alligator gar is white and firm with a mild taste, comparable to the flesh of many sport fishes that anglers eat Commercial fisheries exist for the alligator gar in some southern states, a testament to its use as table fare.
How can you tell spotted gar?
The body of the spotted gar is long and cylindrical, covered with hard, ganoid (diamond-shaped) scales It has a single row of teeth in each jaw. The spotted and the Florida gar are the only two gar that have spots on the top of the head, as well as over the entire body and on the fins.
References
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/atractosteus-spatula/
https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Gar-Family.aspx
The 7 Wonderful Gar of the World
https://lifeoffish.com/types-of-gar-fish-7-fearless-fish-with-compariosion/
https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/alligator-gar/identify-gar.phtml