Shortnose gar
Encyclopedia
The Shortnose Gar is a primitive freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae.
Shortnose gar have a prehistoric looking appearance. Like many other "lie-in-wait" predators, gars have an elongated, torpedo-like body with an elongated head containing one row of sharp, conical teeth. Similar to many Paleozoic
and Mesozoic
actinopterygians, their body is covered in rows of interlocking, rhomboidal ganoid scales that create an exceptionally protective, yet flexible armor around the fish. The dorsal fin
is located posterior nearly directly above the anal fin and very near the large caudal fin. Shortnose gars vary in color, changing from brown/olive green on the dorsal surface to yellow on the sides and white on the underbelly. Shortnose gar can be discerned from other gar species in that they lack the upper jaw of the alligator gar
, the long snout of the longnose gar
, and the markings of the spotted gar
.
s and large, quiet pools, typically around vegetation or drowned logs. Gars have the ability to survive in environments with very little oxygen and especially turbid conditions thanks to a specialized gas bladder
. Gar gas bladders have the ability to function like a lung
to extract and utilize oxygen from swallowed air in addition to regulating buoyancy
.
, May
and June
when water temperatures are near the mid-60's. Often accompanied by more than one male, females scatter large, yellowish-green eggs in quiet, shallow water among submerged vegetation or other underwater structures. A sticky adhesive
holds the eggs together in clumps where they hatch after eight to nine days. The eggs are poisonous to birds and mammals, including humans. The young remain in the yolk sac
for another week where they feed on insect larvae
and small crustaceans. Young gars typically lead solitary lives and sexual maturity is achieved around three years of age when the gar reaches approximately 15 inches in length.
, insects, and other invertebrates. Despite feeding mainly on whatever fish are available, shortnose gar eat more invertebrates than any other gar and have even been found to exhibit territorial defense behaviors around favorable pools while foraging on high numbers of periodical cicadas.
and Missouri River
basins ranging from Montana
(in the west) to the Ohio River
(in the east) in the north and the Gulf Coast from Louisiana
and Alabama
to parts of Texas
in the south.
. Shortnose gar are popular aquarium
fish, however, and are frequently found in public aquariums across the country.
, where they are considered a fish of special concern due to restricted distribution and limited population sizes.
The heaviest published Shortnose gar was weighed in at 5.73 pounds.
Shortnose gar have a prehistoric looking appearance. Like many other "lie-in-wait" predators, gars have an elongated, torpedo-like body with an elongated head containing one row of sharp, conical teeth. Similar to many Paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
and Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
actinopterygians, their body is covered in rows of interlocking, rhomboidal ganoid scales that create an exceptionally protective, yet flexible armor around the fish. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is located posterior nearly directly above the anal fin and very near the large caudal fin. Shortnose gars vary in color, changing from brown/olive green on the dorsal surface to yellow on the sides and white on the underbelly. Shortnose gar can be discerned from other gar species in that they lack the upper jaw of the alligator gar
Alligator gar
The Alligator Gar , Atractosteus spatula, is a primitive ray-finned fish. Unlike other Gars, the mature Alligator Gar possesses 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 elongated snout...
, the long snout of the longnose gar
Longnose gar
The longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, is a primitive ray-finned fish of the gar family. It is also known as the needlenose gar.- Description :...
, and the markings of the spotted gar
Spotted gar
The spotted Gar is a primitive freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, native to North America from the Lake Erie and southern Lake Michigan drainages south through the Mississippi River basin to Gulf Slope drainages, from lower Apalachicola River in Florida to Nueces River in Texas, USA. It...
.
Habitat
Shortnose gar generally inhabit calm waters in large rivers and their backwaters, as well as oxbow lakeOxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
s and large, quiet pools, typically around vegetation or drowned logs. Gars have the ability to survive in environments with very little oxygen and especially turbid conditions thanks to a specialized gas bladder
Gas bladder
The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming...
. Gar gas bladders have the ability to function like a lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
to extract and utilize oxygen from swallowed air in addition to regulating buoyancy
Buoyancy
In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the...
.
Reproduction/Life Cycle
Shortnose gar typically spawn in the spring during AprilApril
April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...
, May
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...
and June
June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days. Ovid provides two etymologies for June's name in his poem concerning the months entitled the Fasti...
when water temperatures are near the mid-60's. Often accompanied by more than one male, females scatter large, yellowish-green eggs in quiet, shallow water among submerged vegetation or other underwater structures. A sticky adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
holds the eggs together in clumps where they hatch after eight to nine days. The eggs are poisonous to birds and mammals, including humans. The young remain in the yolk sac
Yolk sac
The yolk sac is a membranous sac attached to an embryo, providing early nourishment in the form of yolk in bony fishes, sharks, reptiles, birds, and primitive mammals...
for another week where they feed on insect larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
and small crustaceans. Young gars typically lead solitary lives and sexual maturity is achieved around three years of age when the gar reaches approximately 15 inches in length.
Diet Habits
Shortnose gar are efficient, fierce ambush predators. They feed mainly on fish, but they are very opportunistic and will also eat crayfishCrayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
, insects, and other invertebrates. Despite feeding mainly on whatever fish are available, shortnose gar eat more invertebrates than any other gar and have even been found to exhibit territorial defense behaviors around favorable pools while foraging on high numbers of periodical cicadas.
Range/Distribution
Shortnose gar today are only located in North America. Located mainly in the central United States, they occupy much of the MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
basins ranging from Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
(in the west) to the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
(in the east) in the north and the Gulf Coast from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
to parts of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the south.
Importance to Humans
Shortnose gar are typically considered a nuisance to most fishermen. Not fished for sport themselves, gar consume valuable food and resources that could otherwise be taken advantage of by more popular game fishGame fish
Game fish are fish pursued for sport by recreational anglers. They can be freshwater or marine fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers practise catch and release to improve fish populations. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly...
. Shortnose gar are popular aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish, however, and are frequently found in public aquariums across the country.
Conservation Status
With very few natural predators able to cope with a gar's thick ganoid armor, shortnose gars are generally plentiful. The only exception is in the state of MontanaMontana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, where they are considered a fish of special concern due to restricted distribution and limited population sizes.
Etymology of Name
In Greek, Lepisosteus translates to "bony scale," and platostomus translates to "broad mouth."Trivia
The longest Shortnose gar was measured at 34.64 inches.The heaviest published Shortnose gar was weighed in at 5.73 pounds.