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Gar Fish

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Gar terminology

This website is about the so called “true gars”, the members of the family Lepisosteidae in the order Lepisosteiformes. The term gar can be a bit confusing, since it can be used for at least three different types of fish.

In Europe, the English word gar has been traditionally used for the species Belone belone, a type of needlefish belonging to the family Belonidae in the order Beloniformes. This species live in brackish and marine environments in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.

In America, there are no Belone belone fishes and the term gar is instead used for fish belonging to the family Lepisosteidae in the order Lepisosteiformes. This family comprises seven species of gar divided into two genera: Atractosteus and Lepisosteus. These fishes are found in eastern North America, in Central America and in the Caribbean. They live in fresh, brackish and marine environments, but it is only a few species that can endure a high salinity.

To add to the confusion, the term gar is used for several halfbeak species of the family Hemiramphidae in the order Beloniformes. This use of the term gar is common in British English as well as in American English.

Gar classification

There are two genera in the family Lepisosteidae: Atractosteus and Lepisosteus. The genus Atractosteus contains three different species: the Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula), the Cuban gar (Atractosteus tristoechus) and the Tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus). In the genus Lepisosteus you can find four gar species: Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus), Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus), Shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) and Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus).

Gar anatomy

The gars are large fishes. The smallest gar species, such as the Spotted gar, will usually reach at least 60 centimetres in length and can become considerably longer. The biggest gar species is the Alligator gar, where the largest specimen ever captured measured 305 centimetres.

All gars have elongated bodies with elongated jaws. They are capable predators and their long jaws are filled with sharp teeth. The tail is heterocercal and the dorsal fins are located very close to the tail. All gars are covered in ganoid scales, a special type of scale only found only on gars, bichirs and reedfishes.

Another interesting gar characteristic is their ability to use the swim bladder as a form of lung. Gars are often found in warm and slow moving waters where the oxygen levels can be really low and this specialised swim bladder makes it possible for the gar to inhale oxygen from above the water’s surface. This adaptation makes it possible for gars to survive in conditions where other fish species would rapidly succumb. 

Gar aquariums

Gars are sometimes kept in aquariums, but since even the smallest gar species grow really large you must be able to provide your gar with a huge aquarium. The most commonly kept gar is also one of the smallest gars, the Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus). When kept in large enough aquariums gars are quite easy to care for. They can adapt to a wide range of different water qualities and temperatures. Always leave some space between the surface and the aquarium lid to make it possible for the gar to gulp air.

 

gar fish

World record alligator gar
Large alligator gar

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