From: itannman@dogbert.ucdavis.edu (Ann Mansker)
Subject: Critter of the Week: Aractosteus spatula
Date: 1999/03/16
Newsgroups: ucd.life


The Mississippi River is home to several large fish of ancient lineage.
One of these is the Alligator Gar (Aractosteus spatula/Lepisosteus
spatula).  The fish is also found in rivers draining into the Gulf of
Mexico.  It prefers deep backwaters, where it often drifts at the surface
looking much like a floating log.  The Alligator Gar's broad, toothy
snout, hard scales and feeding habits are reminiscent of its namesake
reptile, but there is no record of the fish making an attack on humans.
Local Indians sometimes used the gar's diamond-shaped scales for armor.

The maximum size for this fish is unknown, though 10 feet is a common
guess.  The image at http://cedar.evansville.edu/~ck6/bstud/hugegar.html ,
taken in 1910, suggests that this may be somewhat conservative.  The
largest taken on a hook weighed over 300 lbs, and was about 7 1/2 feet
long.  Sadly, several factors work against the old giants in the wild.
Channelizing projects reduce the availability of their favored habitat,
and their size and fighting reputation make them a target for bow-fishing
enthusiasts.  Sport anglers are challenged by the difficulty of setting
a hook in a mouth that is notably bony and lined with interlocking
razor-sharp teeth.