Longnose gar

A longnose gar

The longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) is a species of gar in the genus Lepisosteus found in North America. They are also the only species of gars found in New Mexico. They live in lakes, brackish water near coastal areas, swamps, and sluggish backwaters of rivers and streams.

Description

They have an olive brown to green, torpedo-shaped body armored with ganoid scales. They have elongated, spade-like jaws and sharp, cone-shaped teeth on each side of the upper jaw.

Mark Catesby, The Green Gar Fish (Esox osseus), published 1731-1743. An eighteenth-century print with Linnaeus' original name for the longnose gar.

Management

Currently, no management of this species is being conducted. However, some states have listed it as threatened, like South Dakota.

Longnose Gar Media

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  US distribution of longnose gar

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  Longnose gar (L. osseus)

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  Longnose Gar at the Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta

References

1. Froese, R.; Pauly, D. (2017). "Lepisosteidae". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
2. "Lepisosteidae" (PDF).