Fish facts #5 - Jeremy Wade feat. The Gar [Video]

This 100 million years old species with its alligator like appearance is scary fishing target. The jaws, teeth and even scales looks like it's prehistoric creature. Those two lines of teeth in strong jaws can cause you bleeding a lot so better keep adequate safety while fishing or having any direct contact with it. Besides all of that I heard a lot opinions that it's meat has underestimated taste aspects.

Before you will see the video a short information about this fish.

The Gar, Garpike or Alligator Fish ( Latin: Lepisosteus osseus, Linnaeus, 1758)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Order: Lepisosteiformes (Gars-like)

Family: Lepisosteidae (Gars)

Genus: Lepisosteus

Species: L. osseus

Distribution

North and Central America: along the coasts and inland from Quebec to northern Mexico.

Size / Weight

Max length : 200;

common length : 17.5 cm;

max. published weight: 22.8 kg;

max. reported age: 36 years

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal;

pH range: 7.0 - 25.0;

dH range: 10 - 15;

Temperate; 12°C - 20°C;

47°N - 24°N, 97°W - 69°W

Short description

Long narrow snout. Olivaceous brown above and white below. Dark spots on median fins and on body. Scales ganoid: thin bony scutes on leading edges of unpaired fins, and on both edges of caudal fin.

Biology

Adults occur in sluggish pools, backwaters and oxbows of medium to large rivers, and lakes. Usually found near vegetation. Occasionally found in brackish waters. Spawning occur in freshwater and possibly slightly brackish water. Migrate up rivers during the spawning season. Eggs and larvae are demersal and adhesive. Voracious predator, feeding on various fishes and crustaceans. The roe is poisonous.

Supporting source: http://www.fishbase.org

Video