Gars, fish in the family Lepisosteidae, and their close relatives, the bowfin (family Amiidae) and the sturgeon (family Acipenseridae), belong to ancient lineages of fish that are represented by only a handful of species in the present day. The oldest gar fossils date back to the late Jurassic. Historically, the gar family was much more diverse, with at least 200 species identified from fossils and evidence of gars being found on every continent.
Seven extant fish species, split into two genera and spread across North and Central America, represent the modern assemblage of Lepisosteidae. All gar species in the genus Atractosteus, the broad-nosed gars, have broad snouts and tend to be heavier-bodied than species in the Lepisosteus, commonly referred to as the slender gar.
Atractosteus spp.
1) Tropical gar (A. tropicus)
The genus Atractosteus contains three gar species, including the largest and the smallest species by length. The smallest of those is the tropical gar, with a maximum length of 4 ft (1.2 m) compared to the largest, the alligator gar, whose max length exceeds 9 feet (3m). This species is also interesting because its range extends further southward than any other gar species. This species has a short, broad snout and looks like a miniature alligator gar. However, they do not occur in the same region. They are an olive-brown color with variable spotted patterns. Occasionally individuals are spotless, but they are unique within their natural range. They do not occur naturally with any other gar species.
Their primary habitat is inland wetlands, and they are restricted to freshwater. Tropical gars reach sexual maturity at 13 – 15 inches (33 – 38 cm). At that point, they gather in schools during the spawning season from June to July to produce masses of poisonous eggs. They leave these eggs amongst swaths of submerged vegetation. During the rainy season, heavy rains cause riverbanks to swell and engulf emergent vegetation. This phenomenon increases the available spawning habitat, so tropical gars are sometimes known to have a second spawning event when this occurs.
Despite their bony flesh, usually not desired by humans, tropical gars are exploited within their range as a food source and recreationally fished in its range. Culturally, tropical gars have many purposes. For example, their ganoid scales are used to make arrowheads and jewelry. Tropical gars are classified as least concern, although populations are decreasing.
2) Cuban gar/Manjuarí (A. tristoechus)
The Cuban gar, known locally as the manjuarí, has the most limited distribution of any gar species. It is the second largest gar species with a max length of 6.5 feet (2 m), although they are most frequently found at around 3 feet (1 m). Like the alligator gar and the tropical gar, the Cuban gar has a broad snout that is flat and reportedly crocodilian in shape. They have a primarily plain coloration; typically, they are silvery or lighter in color compared to other gars. Their fins are dark with light spots. This species does not occur with any other gar species, so if you find a wild gar in Cuba, you can be sure it is a Cuban gar.
Very little is understood about their biology, but their spawning behaviors are probably like that of other gars. They are known to eat fish and birds. The Cuban gar regularly enters saltwater. This species is the rarest of the Atractosteus gars and is critically endangered. Threats to Cuban gar primarily include human development and exploitation, such as housing developments, industry, tourism, and recreational fishing. Additionally, wild populations suffer from low genetic diversity, which may hamper conservation efforts and species recovery or resilience. A population of Cuban gars are housed in captivity as insurance against the threat of extinction.
3) Alligator gar (A. spatula)
The largest gar species is the alligator gar. In addition, it is long-lived, capable of living longer than 50 years. The largest alligator gar ever caught measured nearly 8.5 feet (2.6 m), although they have been known to exceed that length in the wild. Not only are alligator gar popular sportfish, but they are also stunning to observe and often attract visitors looking for a chance to watch one.
Alligator gar are generalist carnivores known to eat crabs, turtles, birds, and small mammals. They are important apex predators in most fish communities. They are easy to identify compared to other gar species because the alligator gar has a blunter and broader snout resembling an alligator. They only co-occur with slender gar species, which have thinner snouts and smaller body sizes.
Female alligator gar mature at five to ten years of age. Compared to other sportfish, like sunfishes or carp, which sexually mature within a year or two and reproduce often, alligator gar take considerably longer to reach this life stage and reproduce sparingly. They also live far longer than most other predatory fish. As a result, management practices to maintain healthy alligator gar fisheries are different from most other predatory gamefish.
Alligator gar occur in freshwater wetlands and are sometimes known to hunt in saltier coastal or marine environments occasionally. This species is not endangered, and populations are of least concern.
Lepisosteus spp.
1) Spotted gar (L. oculatus)
The spotted gar is covered in spots along its sides, fins, and head, and anglers can use the presence of these spots to distinguish them from other gar species. The shortnose gar is very similar but does not possess as many spots. One clue that may help anglers identify their spotted gar is the presence of spots on the head. Comparatively, the longnose gar has a thin, needle-like snout without spotting on its head, making it easily distinguishable from the spotted gar.
The spotted gar is still long-lived compared to other fish, although they do not live nearly as long as the larger alligator gar. A healthy spotted gar may live to be 18 years old and can grow to an average of 3 feet long.
A calm, vegetated stream might contain a few spotted gar hiding amongst the vegetation using their classic sit-and-wait hunting strategy. While they are primarily freshwater hunters, they are also capable of hunting in brackish water. Despite being voracious predators, spotted gars are not at the top of the food chain. Spotted gars are essential prey items for alligators, predatory birds, and even piscivorous snakes like the cottonmouth.
2) Florida gar (L. platyrhincus)
The Florida gar is a mid-sized car with an average length of 24 inches (61 cm) and a maximum length of 4.5 feet (1.4 m). It has olive-brown spots on the body with spots on all fins. Compare this to longnose gars, who only have spots on their rear fins. They co-occur with the longnose gar, but this gar species can be distinguished by its long, thin snout and the fin patterns already described. The Florida gar, by comparison, possesses a short snout. Florida gars occur primarily in freshwater wetlands.
In the early spring and summer, Florida gars congregate to spawn. Some evidence suggests that groups of Florida gar females can synchronize their spawning times. Florida gar populations are stable and of least concern.
3) Longnose gar (L. osseus)
As its name suggests, the longnose gar possesses a skinny, long snout with rows of sharp teeth. Of all the gar species, the range of the longnose gar extends the farthest north, reaching areas up into Quebec. An average longnose gar will be about 25 inches (64 cm) long.
Longnose gar can be found in slow-moving rivers, ponds, and impoundments, often in small groups. They hover motionless in the water, until a prey item unwittingly approaches them. At this point, they sideswipe the prey item to impale it on their sharp teeth. Longnose gars are vital predators of sunfish, shad, and shiners, controlling populations of these prey fish. In addition, longnose gar can tolerate higher salinity, sometimes entering saltier waters to hunt menhaden in coastal estuaries. Populations of longnose gar are of least concern and are stable. To fish for longnose gar, one source suggests using minnows and artificial lures.
4) Shortnose gar (L. platostomus)
Compared to the longnose gar, shortnose gars have a blunter snout, and they have the least spotting of the four slender gars, with spots occurring on their anal, caudal, and dorsal fins. In addition, their pelvic and pectoral fins are plain. Shortnose gars occur in slow-moving freshwater, usually lakes, ponds, or swamps. On average, they grow to be about 24 inches (61 cm) long.
Shortnose gars are nocturnal opportunistic feeders, preferring to wait for prey to swim by so they can ambush it. Their diet includes fish and invertebrates. Interestingly, the shortnose gar consumes more invertebrates than any other gar species. Populations of shortnose gar are of least concern and are reportedly stable.
Gar Fish Facts
1) Gar are lie-in-wait Predators
Gar are lie-in-wait predators, preferring to hide amongst submerged vegetation, patiently waiting for a prey item to pass by, such as a small sunfish or a shad. All gar species possess a mouthful of sharp teeth and an arrowlike, or sagittiform, body shape. These traits enable them to be top predators in their ecosystem. The arrowlike body shape allows them to dart out from hiding and snatch prey quickly. All extant gars also possess a suit of armor in the form of interlocking ganoid scales.
2) Gar Scales are Covered in Ganoine
Gar scales are covered in ganoine, a material considered to be a precursor to tooth enamel which gives ganoid scales strength. In addition, their swim bladder acts like a lung, allowing gar to breathe air when there is too little oxygen in the water. Even in well-oxygenated waters, gars gulp oxygen above the water’s surface and breathe via their gills. Generally, gars are shy, avoiding areas with aggressive fish. They are not aggressive towards other fish as long as they are not small enough to be considered food.
3) Gar are Long Lived Fish
Gars are typically long-lived, and most species are exclusively freshwater except for the endangered Cuban gar, which can enter salt water. Alligator gars, spotted gars, and longnose gars sometimes hunt in salty environments. Despite being a relative of the sturgeon, a fish group famously exploited for their valuable eggs commercially known as caviar, gar roe is poisonous.
4) Gar Scatter Eggs on Submerged Vegetation
Adult gars gather in groups during the spawning season and leave their eggs scattered amongst submerged vegetation. Once hatched, gar larvae have an adhesive disk on the tip of their snouts that allows them to attach themselves to vegetation during the first couple of days of development until they are ready to hunt for themselves amongst the aquatic plants.
I have a gar with a short nose a 1/4 inch black lateral line from head to tail and spots elsewhere
The fins are black and orange strips including tail fin which is deeply forked. What is it?