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Gar FishTropical gar fishThe Tropical gar fish (Atractosteus tropicus) lives in Nicaragua and Costa Rica in Central America. This species can grow up to 150 centimetres in length. It is sometimes kept in aquariums, but captive specimens rarely grow as large as the wild ones. The Tropical gar fish looks similar to the Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) when it comes to colouration and markings, but the Tropical gar fish have a much shorter and broader snout. The Tropical gar fish feeds chiefly on cichlids.
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Longnose gar fish
The Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) is also referred to as the Needlenose gar and is characterized by its long and narrow beak. The beak is filled with an abundance of sharp teeth. The Longnose gar fish hunts minnows, gizzard shad and similar fish, but anglers can also use nigthcrawlers and similar as baits.The Longnose gar fish have a long and cylindrical body that can reach a length of 2 metres.The Longnose gar fish lives in on the North American continent. The densest populations are found in the south-eastern parts of the United States, including Texas and the Mississippi river. Longnose gar fish can however be found as far north as southern Quebec in Canada. Longnose gar fish is also present in the northern regions of Mexico. Low inflow pools, lazy back waters and clear streams are all examples of typical Longnose gar habitats.
Florida gar fish
Florida gar fish (Lepisosteus Platyrhincus) inhabit a region that stretches from the Savannah River drainage in Georgia to the Ocklockonee River drainage in Florida and Georgia, throughout the Florida peninsula. It prefers bodies of water with muddy or sandy bottoms and usually stays close to aquatic plants. The Florida gar fish is found in lakes, canals and lowland streams. It can survive in warm and muddy waters where oxygen is scarce since it uses its specialised swim bladder to breath oxygen directly from the air.The longest scientifically measured Florida gar fish was 132 centimetres long and the max published weight for this species is 9,610 grams. The snout is broad and the upper and lower jaws are each equipped with a single row of teeth. The teeth are sharp and irregularly shaped.
The Florida gar fish sports an olive-brown colouration on its back and upper sides, while the belly is white or yellowish. The body is decorated with irregular black dots, including head and fins. Juvenile Florida gar fish will sometimes display dark stripes on the back and sides.
The adult Florida gar fish feed chiefly on fish, crayfish and shrimp. Young Florida gars will instead eat insect larvae, zooplankton and really small fish. Newly hatched Florida gar fishes remain attached to aquatic plants until they have reached a size of approximately 2 centimetres. The breeding period of Florida gar fish begins in late winter or early spring when mature specimens of both sexes congregate in shallow and densely grown waters. The female Florida gar fish release adhesive eggs that will stick to underwater plants. When the young Florida gar fish hatches it continues to be attached to the plant by using a special adhesive organ located at the end of the snout
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Large alligator gar fish
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