Gar, longnose Lepisosteus osseus

Linnaeus, 1758

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


The longnose gar is the most common and widely distributed of all the gars. It is found throughout the eastern half of the U.S.A. through the Mississippi River system and other drainages in larger streams and brackish water coastal inlets. Its range extends at least as far south as Florida's Lake Okeechobee, the Gulf states, and the Rio Grande between Texas and Mexico; and as far north as Minnesota, the Great Lakes, and Quebec, Canada. It extends west to the border between Minnesota and south Dakota, and probably as far as Montana in the north and Pecos River in New Mexico to the south. It is found both east and west of the Appalachians, with large concentrations along the Atlantic coast.

This gar is generally distinguished from other gars by its longer, more slender body, and especially by its longer, narrower beak (18 20 times as long as it is wide at its narrowest point). The nostrils are located in a small, bulbous fleshy growth at the very tip of the upper jaw. The bony, diamond shaped ganoid scales of the gars overlap to form a protective armor on the body that has been known to deflect arrows.

Although edible, it is not popular, and the eggs are poisonous, causing severe illness in humans and sometimes death in smaller animals and birds. Only fish seem to be able to consume them without harm

Gar, alligator Atractosteus spatula

Lacepede, 1803

LEPISOSTEIDAE


FAMILY; also called pejelagarto, catán,

The alligator gar is an inhabitant of large rivers, bays, and coastal marine waters from the western Florida panhandle (the Econfina River) west along the Gulf of Veracruz, Mexico, and north in the Mississippi River drainage as far as the lower reaches of the Ohio and Missouri rivers. It has been reported from Lake Nicaragua and the Sapoa River.

Believed to grow to over 300 lb (136 kg) with a head that looks very much like an alligator's, it is certainly one of the most distinctive freshwater species. It can be distinguished from all other gars by the two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, its broader snout, and its size when fully grown. All other gars have one row of teeth in the upper jaw. In most other respects all gars are very similar in appearance, with a long body, a long, toothy snout, and a single dorsal fin that is far back on the body above the anal fin and just before the tail. The tail is rounded and the pectoral, ventral, and anal fins are fairly evenly spaced on the lower half of the body. The gars most closely resemble the fishes of the pike family (muskellunge, northern pike, and the pickerels, Esox spp.) in body shape and fin placement. In these fishes the tail is forked, not rounded.

Because of its huge size and great strength, the alligator gar is popular with anglers. Obviously, it is not a fish that is easily caught, as its sharp teeth will cut most lines in an instant. They are edible, but are not highly rated by most people. The roe (eggs) should never be eaten as it is toxic to man, animals, and birds (but apparently not to other fish), and will cause severe illness in people and sometimes death in smaller animal

Gar, Florida Lepisosteus platyrhincus

DeKay, 1842

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


Found throughout peninsular Florida and in the panhandle as far as the Apalachicola River drainage, where there is evidence that it may hybridize with the spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), its closest relative. The Florida gar also occurs through part of southern Georgia to the Savannah River drainage. West of the Apalachicola River drainage in the western panhandle and throughout several states to the west and northwest of Florida, they are by the spotted gar. Apparently their ranges do not overlap except in the Apalachicola drainage. The Florida gar is relatively common in medium to large lowland streams and lakes with mud or sand bottoms and an abundance of underwater vegetation. It is also abundant in canals, such as the Tmi.

Like the spotted gar, it has spots on top of the head as well as over the entire body and on all the fins. Other gars have spots on the fins and usually on the posterior part of the body only. The Florida and spotted gars can be distinguished from each other mainly by the distance from the front of the eye to the back of the gill cover. In the Florida gar the distance is less than 2/3 the length of the snout, and in the spotted gar it is more than 2/3 the length. The only other gar that is known to occur within the Florida gar's range is the longnose gar (L. osseus) which is found throughout much of the eastern half of the U.S.A., including Florida, at least as far south as Lake Okeechobee. The longnose gar, however, lacks spots on top of its head and its beak is 18 20 times as long as it is wide (at its narrowest point), while the Florida gar's beak is probably less than 5 ½ times as long as it is wide.

Gars are popular as sport fish. Although edible, they are unpopular as food. The roe is highly toxic to humans, animals, and birds

Gar, shortnose Lepisosteus platostomus

Rafinesque, 1820

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


This gar occurs from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico, but is essentially limited to the low gradient portions of the Mississippi River basin. It can withstand higher turbidity than most gars, and is common in calm backwater areas of rivers as well as in lakes and other such waters, frequently where little or no aquatic vegetation is present. In U.S. it can be found from northern Alabama to Oklahoma and down through Louisiana to the Gulf. In the north, it has a broad range in the river systems that feed the Mississippi from southern Ohio to Montana.

Because the shortnose gar occurs in many of the same areas (specifically the fertile Mississippi drainage system) as the alligator gar (Lepisosteus spatula), the spotted gar (L. oculatus), and the longnose gar (L. osseus), identifying it involves a process of elimination. It isn't what it is unique for, but rather what the other species have that sets them apart. The alligator gar has two rows of teeth in the upper jaw, while all other gars have only one row. The spotted gar and its close relative the Florida gar (L. platyrhincus) have spots on top of the head, over the entire body, and on all the fins. The spots on other gars are confined mainly to the rear portion of the bodies and on the fins, never on the head. The longnose gar is distinguished by its beak or snout which is 18 20 times as long as it is wide at its narrowest point, a considerably greater length to width ratio than in other species. The beak of the shortnose gar is only about 5½ times as long as its narrowest width.

Like all gars, the shortnose gar is a good sport fish. Though edible, it is not popular. The dark green eggs of the gars are poisonous, and cause violent illness in humans and death in small animals and birds. Fish seem to suffer no harm from them

Gar, spotted Lepisosteus oculatus

Winchell, 1864

LEPISOSTEIDAE FAMILY


The spotted gar can be found from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico down through the Mississippi River drainage system. It occurs all along the Gulf coast from central Texas to the western portion of the Florida panhandle. East of the Apalachicola drainage, in the remainder of Florida, the spotted gar is replaced by its closest relative, the Florida gar (L. platyrhincus). Both species occur in the Apalachicola drainage itself, where they are believed to hybridize to some extent. In the north of its range, it occurs eastward to the north and south shores of Lake Erie in northern Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario, but is not known to occur much west of Illinois