maybe this one is better.......

a7x_6661

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2008
65
0
0
gainesville georgia
LEPISOSTEUS OSSEUS
Longnose Gar

General:
L. osseus or longnose gar are the second largest of the gar specis. They can easily be IDed by thier long narrow snout and thier slender body. They are found throughout the eastern US. except the extreme northeastern parts. The St. lawrence river drainage, from the Atlantic coast, south of New Jersey to Orlando Florida. The S. Great lakes and Mississippi river system. South to Rio Grande drainage in Texas.

Size:
Juvenile osseus are any size below 6 inches. While mature osseus reach 6 feet. However in captivity, they reach anywhere from 24 to 36 inches.

Description:
It is hard to identify juvenile gars. They all have a goldish brown top with a dark stripe the middle with a red extension on the tail that is used to help them swim. Once they reach 4 to 5 inches the tail extension grows onto the tail. And at 6 to 7 inches you can identify the speices. L. osseus vary in color (as do all species of gar) , it all depends on the individual fish. But most are a brownish color on the top with a dark stripe down the middle. Similar to juvenile gar. There bellys are whitish. They have a rounded tail with dark spots all over them.

Tank Size (Do's and Don'ts):
Due to the mature size of this fish it may not be suitable for a beginner gar keeper. A mature L. osseus as said before may reach anywhere from 24 to 36 inches in captivity. Which means they will prefer either a decent sized pond or a fairly large tank. Dimensions 9x6x2 should be plenty of room. But with gar a large tank isn't always better. If anything spooks the fish, and the tank is to large, the fish could gain speed and crash into the side of the tank and possibly break his back. A 2 inch gar should be kept in a small fish bowl or tank. A 4 to 5 inch gar should be kept in a 10 gallon tank. And a 12 inch gar should be kept in a 120 gallon and so on. Always make sure the width of the tank is about double the length of the gar. Giving it plenty of room to turn. You may not want to give a juvenile gar so much room preventing a broken back.

Feeding:
Feeding an L. osseus is almost if not identical to feeding all gar. Try to get them off feeders ASAP and get them on a more various diet. However, getting them off of feeders may not be easy, it depends on the individual fish. Although feeding on live food is natural instinct for all gar, it's not always healthy for them. Getting them on prepared food such as pellets,prawn, krill, or shrimp will keep your fish happy and healthy. If you decide you want to use feeders, breed them yourself or quarintine them for atleast two weeks to ensure that the feeders are healthy. Goldfish in particular are not healthy because they are filled with fat and that is not nutritous for your fish. Breeding or quarentinig your fish will ensure that they do not have diseases that can be transmitted to your gar as with parasites. This should cover all gar species.


References:
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales and Dolphins

Neil posted this on my account. Maybe it gives better info. than the other thread he posted about longnose gars.
 

city_of_evil6661

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2008
1,015
0
0
gainesville ga
oops. i posted this on the wrong account.
 
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