Gar
Gar are a distinctive group of freshwater fish known for their long, slender bodies, armored scales, and sharp, beak-like snouts. They inhabit various freshwater environments across North and Central America, where they serve as both predators and prey. Among the species, the alligator gar is notable for its size, reaching lengths of nearly 10 feet and weights of up to 300 pounds. Gar are equipped to breathe air, allowing them to thrive in low-oxygen waters. Their diet primarily consists of fish, crabs, and other aquatic organisms, which they capture with their rapid strikes from hidden ambush points.
Gar reproduce in shallow waters during spawning season, where a single female can lay up to 20,000 eggs that adhere to vegetation, providing some protection from predators. Their toxic eggs deter many would-be predators, enhancing the survival rate of the young. Life spans vary, with females often living up to 22 years, while males mature faster and typically have shorter lives. Despite their fierce appearance, no species of gar is currently considered threatened, and they continue to play a vital role in their ecosystems.
Subject Terms
Garfish
Gar are freshwater fish with long, slender, armored bodies and sharp teeth in their long, pointed, beak-like snouts. They are able to breathe both in and out of water. One of the species in this group, the alligator gar, is among the largest of the North American freshwater fish at nearly 10 feet (three meters) and 300 pounds (135 kilograms).
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lepisosteiformes
Family: Lepisosteidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
There are two genera and seven species of gar. They live throughout North and Central America. The armored scales of the gar give these fish good protection from predators. The gar themselves are fierce predators with their long, beak-like snouts lined with sharp teeth. They lurk by underwater logs, branches, weeds, and rocks and then dart out quickly to seize their prey. The diet of these fish consists of fish, crabs, frogs, salamanders, worms, and water insects which they catch in shallow, freshwater lakes, and rivers.
Gar have long, round, slender bodies with heavy, flat, diamond-shaped plates. Some people make jewelry from these scales. Their bodies may be 2 1/2 to 13 feet (75 to 400 centimeters) long and weigh 15 to 62 pounds (seven to 28 kilograms). Gar may have skin that is various shades of gray, silver, brown, black, yellow, and green, and may or may not have spots. Some gars have colorful tails and fins. Each of them has a dorsal (back) fin a short distance forward of its rounded tail, just as it also has an anal, pelvic, and a pair of pectoral fins.
The season during the year when gar produce young is called spawning season. Groups of gars gather in shallow, warm water where the females release and scatter their eggs over vegetation. Several males may then fertilize the eggs of one female. Each female may have as many as 20,000 eggs which stick to the vegetation to keep them from floating away. Not all of these eggs develop and hatch, of course, but fewer are eaten by predators than might be expected. The eggs appear to be quite toxic, or poisonous, to several species of larger fish which might otherwise eat the eggs. After two to three days, the young hatch and then attach themselves to plants with their sticky nose pads. They grow quickly, and males are fully-grown when they are three to four years old, while females are mature after six years. Just as it takes females about twice as long as males to mature, so also, they may live to be 22 years old, twice as old as males. Gars have an average life span of between 10 and 20 years. No species of gar is considered threatened.
Species of gar include: Name Genus/species and Common Name
Atractosteus spatula or Alligator gar
Atractosteus tropicus or Tropical gar
Atractosteus tristoechus or Cuban gar
Lepisosteus oculatus or Spotted gar
Lepisosteus platyrhincus Florida gar
Lepisosteus osseus or Longnose gar
Lepisosteus platostomus or Shortnose gar
Bibliography
Bales, Rebecca. “Gar Fish Facts - Lepisosteidae.” A-Z Animals, 18 Apr. 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/gar. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.
“Gars Facts and Information - SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.” Seaworld.org, 2024, seaworld.org/animals/facts/bony-fish/gars. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.