Alligator gar
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| Alligator Gar | |
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| Species: | A. spatula
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| Binomial name | |
| Atractosteus spatula (Lacépède, 1803)
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Lepisosteus spatula Lacépède, 1803 | |
The Alligator Gar, Gator Gar, or Atractosteus spatula, is a primitive ray-finned fish. Unlike other Gars, the mature Alligator Gar possesses a dual row of large teeth in the upper jaw. These remarkably Alligator-like teeth, along with its snout, give it its name. The dorsal surface of the Alligator Gar is a brown or olive-color, while the ventral surface tends to be a lighter color. Their scales are diamond-shaped and interlocking (ganoid) and are sometimes used by Native Americans for jewelry.
The Alligator Gar can survive up to two hours above water.
The Alligator Gar is the largest species of gar and is the largest exclusively freshwater fish in North America. It can be as long as eight to ten feet and often weighs at least 200 pounds at maturity. The current world record for the largest Alligator Gar caught on rod and reel is 279lb 0oz.[1] The largest taken by Bowfishing is 365lb.
Location
Alligator gar are found in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and Southeastern United States, encompassing the following states: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, and Georgia. They have also been known occasionally to come as far north as central Kansas. They inhabit sluggish pools and backwaters or large rivers, bayous, and lakes. They are rarely found in brackish or saltwater, but are more adaptable to the latter than are other gars.
In February 2007, a 1.5-meter Alligator Gar was found roaming far in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia, when the city was hit by a major flood (see External Links below). In January 2008, a 3-kg Gator Gar was found by fishermen in Bera, Pahang (East Coast State of Malaysia), when it was caught entangled in a fishing net.
In November 2008, a 50-60cm long Alligator gar was caught in the north of Esenguly, Turkmenistan by two officials of Turkmenistan Fishery Protection. Dr. R. Mayden, Saint Louis University and Dr. Eric Hilton, Virginia Institute of Marine Science confirmed that it was probably an Atractosteus spatula.[2]
Behavior
Feeding
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The Alligator Gar is a relatively passive, solitary fish that lives in fresh water bodies in the southeastern U.S. It is carnivorous. The Alligator Gar feeds by lurking amongst reeds and other vegetation, ambushing prey. THIS PART IS DELETE ---- THE AUTHOR MAKE BAD COMMENTARY
It seems that they would not ordinarily be aggressive towards humans, however there have been rumors of large Alligator Gars attacking humans on occasion, though in most instances, this turns out to be a case of mistaken identity, with its close cousin the Spotted Alabama.[dubious – discuss] These rumors were investigated by Jeremy Wade in an episode of the Animal Planet television series River Monsters.
Breeding
Though the Alligator Gar prefers slow-moving waters, it appears to need running water in order to spawn.
Taxonomic history
Until relatively recently all gars have generally been classified in the genus Lepisosteus Lacepède, 1803. The Alligator Gar had been given the name Atractosteus adamantinus by the eccentric Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz in 1818, and for a long time Atractosteus was simply viewed as a junior synonym of Lepisosteus. E. O. Wiley resurrected this genus in 1976, in his work The phylogeny and biogeography of fossil and Recent Gars.
Based on Wiley's work, after 1976 the Gars were officially split into Lepisosteus and Atractosteus, and ever since then zoos, aquarium books, anglers, and so on have been gradually catching up with the proper terminology.
Human usage
Sport fish
Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana allow regulated sport fishing of the Alligator Gar.
The fish is popular amongst bowfishers because of its size and tendency to brawl. An interesting anatomical feature of this fish is that its buoyancy bladder is directly connected to its throat, giving it the ability to draw in air from above the water. For this reason, Alligator Gar are often found near the surface of a body of water, making them an easy target for bowfishers.
Food source
Alligator Gar aren't widely eaten by humans, though in some southern areas, particularly in Texas and Louisiana, they are served in restaurants and considered a viable food source.
References
- ^ Caught by Bill Valverde, Jan. 1, 1951, Rio Grande River, Texas[1]Retrieved Jun. 13, 2009
- ^ http://www.natureprotection.gov.tm/index_tm.php?subaction=showfull&id=1241082083&archive=&cnshow=headlines&start_from=&ucat=&
- "Lepisosteus spatula". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 30 January.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepisosteus spatula". FishBase. October 2005 version.
- Lacepède, B. G. E. 1803, Histoire naturelle des poissons; Hist. Nat. Poiss. i-lxviii + 1-803 + index
- Rafinesque, C. S., 1820, Ichthyologia Ohiensis [Part 8]. Western Rev. Misc. Mag. 165-173.
- E. O. Wiley, 1976. The phylogeny and biogeography of fossil and Recent gars (Actinopterygii: Lepisosteidae). Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas Misc. Publ. 64:1-111.
- Alligator Gar at the University of Evansville
- Alligator Gar at Texas Parks and Wildlife
External links
