The tropical gar (''Atractosteus tropicus'') is a species of fish from Central America, where it is found in the Pacific and Atlantic drainages from southern Mexico to

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. In Central America it is known as ''gaspar'' and in Mexico it is known as ''pejelagarto'', a contraction of the words "pez" (fish) and "lagarto" (alligator). This gar inhabits a wide range of fresh and brackish water habitats such as rivers, floodplains, lakes and pools, but avoids areas with a strong current. It reaches lengths of up to (although typically less than half that length) and a weight up to . The tropical gar looks very similar to the longnose gar in color and markings, but can be distinguished by its shorter, broader snout. The tropical gar's diet consists mainly of

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

s and other fish. While gar are not widely eaten, there is a traditional Tabasco dish of the same name that uses chili, limes, and salt to cook the animal.

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* {{Taxonbar, from=Q302344 Lepisosteidae Mexican cuisine Freshwater fish of Central America Freshwater fish of Mexico Fish described in 1863 Taxa named by Theodore Gill