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| Alligator Gar: Story of a Fish Facing Alligator |
The
alligator gar,
Atractosteus spatula, is a ancient
ray-finned fish. Unlike other gars, the mature alligator gar acquires a dual row of large teeth in the upper jaw. Its name derives from the
alligator-like
appearance of these teeth along with the fish's extended snout. The
dorsal surface of the alligator gar is a brown or olive color, meanwhile the
ventral surface tends to be lighter. Their scales are looked diamond-shaped
and interlocking (ganoid) and are sometimes used by Native Americans for jewelry and arrow heads.
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Alligator Gar
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Alligator gars are found throughout much of the coastal U.S.
Southeast. They inhabit waters as far west as Texas and Oklahoma, as far
north as the Mississippi River Basin and the lower Ohio and Missouri
river systems, and southern drainages well into Mexico.
Gars
inhabit lakes, bayous, and bays and are able to tolerate brackish and
even salt water. But these toothy giants prefer large, slow-moving
rivers, particularly those with wide floodplains, where shallow waters
provide hatchlings with some protection from predators.
Unfortunately
for the alligator gar, flood-control measures such as dams and dikes
have dramatically altered their riverine ecosystems and largely
eliminated their preferred spawning habitats across North America. These
breeding challenges have contributed to significant population declines
across much of the animal's range.
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Alligator Gar
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