Alligator Gar

Gar Fish

The Alligator gar is a much sought after game fish among sport fishers since it is large, mean looking and really feisty. It is also kept as a pet, but since it can grow really big it will require an enormous aquarium. Public aquariums and really devoted predatory fish aquarists are therefore the most common Alligator gar keepers and this fish rarely turns up in standard pet shops and fish stores.

Alligator gar classification

The Alligator gar belongs to the genus Atractosteus in the family Lepisosteidae. This makes it closely related to the Cuban gar (Atractosteus tristoechus) and the Tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus).

The current scientific name for the Alligator gar is Atractosteus spatula, but it used to be considered a part of the genus Lepisosteus for many years, so you might come across the name Lepisosteus spatula if you read about Alligator gars in older texts.

Alligator gar range

The Alligator gar is a subtropical species native to the North American continent. The Alligator gar range stretches from 44°n to 20°n and from 101°w to 82°w. In the United States, you can find this species in the south-eastern regions of the nation. Wild Alligator gars inhabit Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. In Mexico, you can find Alligator gar along the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain down to Veracruz.

Alligator gar habitat

The Alligator gar is known to be fond of areas with slowly flowing water, such as swamps, bayous and backwaters. It is however also found in lakes and more rapid rivers. Compared to the other gar species, the Alligator gar is highly capable of adapting to changes in salinity and Alligator gars are found in freshwater, brackish water and saltwater. The do however seem to prefer freshwater conditions.

Alligator gar food

Alligator gars are solitary hunters that usually hide them selves among underwater vegetation from where they can ambush suitable prey. The Alligator gar feeds mainly on fish, but it can supplement its piscivores diet with several other animals, such as crustaceans and waterfowl. Alligator gars are even capable of attacking and devouring 5 feet long alligators.

Alligator gar spawning

Even though Alligator gars normally live in slowly moving waters, they migrate to more rapid waters to breed. Spawning will take place in spring, usually in May. The eggs are deposited in shallow water.

Alligator gar description
The Alligator gar grows bigger than any other species of gar. It can also be distinguished from other gar species by the presence of a dual row of teeth in its upper jaw. These teeth are not extraordinarily big, but extremely sharp and ideal for shedding prey. The body of the Alligator gar is olive coloured or brownish on the dorsal surface, while the ventral surface is pale.

The body of the Alligator gar is covered in a form of scales known as ganoid scales. These scales are quite uncommon among fish and it only seen on bichirs, reedfishes and gars. The ganoid scale consists of a cosmine layer, a ganoid layer and an enamel layer. If you take closer look at the scales of an Alligator gar you notice that they are diamond shaped and that they interlock with each other. The scales are hard and shimmering and used to be worn as jewellery by Native Americans.

gar fish

Large alligator gar fish

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