Alligator garfish
The alligator garfish is a large, freshwater fish native to North America, easily recognized by its alligator-like snout and sharp teeth. It can reach lengths of up to ten feet (three meters) and weigh nearly 300 pounds (135 kilograms), making it one of the largest freshwater fish in the region. These fish have long, slender bodies covered in armor-like scales, with a distinct coloration of yellowish bellies and dark-brown sides and backs. Notably, alligator garfish possess the ability to breathe both in and out of water, allowing them to thrive in low-oxygen environments such as lakes, slow-moving rivers, and brackish waters.
While they primarily prey on crabs and smaller fish, there is a misconception that they target game fish and waterfowl, a claim not supported by research. Their spawning occurs in shallow, warm waters where females can lay up to 27,000 eggs, which stick to aquatic vegetation. Alligator garfish have a unique life cycle, with males reaching maturity around three to four years old, while females take approximately six years. The longevity of the species also varies, as males typically live up to eleven years, whereas females can survive for up to twenty-two years.
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Alligator garfish
The alligator garfish is named appropriately for its pointed, alligator-like snout and sharp teeth. At up to ten feet (three meters) long and weighing nearly 300 pounds (135 kilograms), it is among the largest freshwater fish in North America.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lepisosteiformes
Family: Lepisosteidae
Genus: Atractosteus
Species: Spatula
One of the largest freshwater fish in North America is the alligator garfish. The largest one ever caught weighed nearly 330 pounds (150 kilograms) and measured nearly ten feet (three meters) long from the tip of its tail to the tip of its long, pointed snout. Alligator garfish have long, slender bodies with armor-like scales. They have yellowish skin on their bellies and dark-brown skin on their sides and backs, which may also have some spots. The caudal, or tail, fin is short and rounded. The snout is broad and shorter than the snouts of some other garfish species. Even so, its edges contain numerous sharp teeth.
Although most fish can only breathe when they are in water, the alligator garfish can breathe both in and out of water. This is helpful since some Alligator garfish live in water with less oxygen, like lakes, reservoirs, large rivers, and bayous where the water moves slowly or is not often stirred. This means there may be less oxygen in the water. Some alligator garfish live in coastal areas and swim in salty marine water. Others live in brackish water where fresh and saltwater meet. The water is less salty than marine water but saltier than freshwater.
Alligator garfish prey on crabs and other fish that forage for food. Some people think they eat game fish and waterfowl, but studies show this is rare. Some fishermen catch garfish for sport or commercial purposes. The armored scales and the fish's size give them ample protection from most predators.
Spawning season is the time of year when garfish produce young. Shallow, warm water provides a good site for groups of garfish to gather and spawn. When they spawn, females scatter their eggs over vegetation. More than one male may then fertilize the eggs of one female. Each female may have as many as 27,000 eggs, which stick to the vegetation to keep them from drifting away. Not all of these eggs develop and hatch since many are not fertilized. A few may be eaten, but the eggs are poisonous to most predators. After six to eight days, the young hatch and attach themselves to plants with their sticky nose pads. Males are grown and able to fertilize eggs when they are three to four years old, and females can spawn after six years. It may take females twice as long as males to mature, but they also live nearly twice as long. Males rarely live beyond eleven years, but females may live to be twenty-two years old.
Bibliography
"Alligator Gar." A-Z Animals, 4 Apr. 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/alligator-gar. Accessed 16 Mar. 2023.
"Alligator Gar." National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/alligator-gar. Accessed 16 Mar. 2023.