The Florida gar (''Lepisosteus platyrhincus'') is a species of gar found in the US from the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

and Ochlockonee River watersheds of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and throughout peninsular

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. Florida gar can reach a length over 3 ft (91 cm). The young feed on

zooplankton Zooplankton are the heterotrophic component of the planktonic community (the " zoo-" prefix comes from ), having to consume other organisms to thrive. Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. Consequent ...

and insect

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e, as well as small fish. Adults mainly eat

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

shrimp A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

, and crayfish. Although edible, they are not popular as food. The

roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

is highly toxic to many animals, including humans and birds.

Appearance

This is a mid-sized species of gar. It measures from long and typically weighs . According to the IGFA, the record weight for this species is . This species has irregular round, black spots on the top of its head and over the entire body including the anal fin. The distance of the eyes is less than two-thirds the length of the snout. Also, it has a shorter, broad snout with a single row of irregularly spaced sharp teeth on the upper and lower jaws. No bony scales are on the throat. Their color is olive-brown on the back and upper sides, with a white to yellow belly. The young may have dark stripes on the back and sides.

Environment

They can be found in the Ochlockonee River and waters east and in peninsular Florida in medium to large lowland streams, canals, and lakes with muddy or sandy bottoms near underwater vegetation. They are often found in medium to shallow waters. They use an air bladder to breathe air which helps them survive in poorly oxygenated water. They sometimes will hide in weeds in 4–10 feet. Usually when you find them here, they will have their head in the weeds and will only show a small portion of the body. Some times they will be sitting on the edge of a weed bed. Here they will be about 3–8 inches below the surface. Usually the bottom will be 3 feet or more. It is also common to find them sitting in a marshy shoreline, these gar are typically 2 feet or more in length, with the bottom being no deeper than 6 inches. Larger specimens are rare, but are commonly found in swampy parts of lakes. These areas are never deeper than 6–8 feet.

Reproduction

This occurs in late winter and early spring, with spawning typically occurring between February and March. Groups of both sexes come together in shallow, weedy water where the females discharge their adhesive eggs among the aquatic plants. Female's eggs are typically fertilized by multiple males. The hatched young possess an adhesive organ on the end of their snouts and stay attached to vegetation until about 0.8 in (2 cm) long. Following spawning in the late winter and early spring, male Florida gars undergo a decrease in their reproductive parameters throughout the summer. This includes a decrease in reproductive hormone levels and gonad maturation.

Behavior

During the dry season, Florida gars burrow into the sediments of the marshes they inhabit and aestivate through the dry season. Aestivation, similar to hibernation in other species, lowers the animal's metabolic rate. This allows the Florida gar to withstand the high temperatures and dry conditions of their habitats during the summer.

Feeding habits

Adult Florida gar are ambush predators; they stalk their prey and utilize a lateral lunge of their long heads in order to strike and catch their prey. These strikes are very short and fast, typically lasting for only 25 to 40 milliseconds in length. Upon catching their prey, the gar thrash their head from side to side to manipulate the prey before repositioning it to swallow it head first. Adult Florida gar tend to feed on fish, shrimp and crayfish, while young gar feed on zooplankton and insect larvae.

References