rookie question

[phillydog1958]

i went to petsmart and saw a long slender fish that resembled a gar, but they called it a needle fish. it was a juvenile of about 4 inches. what is this fish? is it a gar?

[justonemoretank]

It could be a needle nose gar, but it could be any of the characins that pet stores label as gars, but aren't. Watch the gar for a few minutes. Does it come to the surface and open its mouth, getting air? Gars breathe air. So if this guy doesn't need to come to the surface, and gets its oxygen from the water only, it's probably not a gar.

[phillydog1958]

It could be a needle nose gar, but it could be any of the characins that pet stores label as gars, but aren't. Watch the gar for a few minutes. Does it come to the surface and open its mouth, getting air? Gars breathe air. So if this guy doesn't need to come to the surface, and gets its oxygen from the water only, it's probably not a gar.


thanks for the input. i'll look into that.

[Oddball]

The most common needlefish that's available is Xenetodon cancila. Google pics and compare.

[phillydog1958]

The most common needlefish that's available is Xenetodon cancila. Google pics and compare.


thanks, that's what i saw at petsmart. I knew they were not true needle nose gar.