Florida or Spotted ???? (9inches 23,5cm)

[demjor19]

Well Diego I have to say you have an interesting one...It is still a close call between Florida and spotted..I have to say though I'm now leaning to maybe a spotted which would be the first in a very very long time. If possible could you get a full side pic of it with a ruler or pencil for size and proportion determination???

may i ask what makes you think this one may be a spotted? i agree something does look different about it, but i cant put my finger on it.

 

[Polypterus]

may i ask what makes you think this one may be a spotted? i agree something does look different about it, but i cant put my finger on it.

When I was first looking at it the snout length for the size of fish was looking a bit longer and narrower than typical for most Florida. Looking again though I'm still unsure and it could be either one of them..Time will tell on that one...

The Florida and spotted gars are distinguishable from each other primarily by the snout length. The distance from the front of the eye to the back of the gill cover is less than 2/3 the length of the snout in the Florida gar, while it is more than 2/3 of the length in the spotted gar. The Florida gar lacks bony scales on the throat.

This I'm sorry to say is rubbish with hobby sized fish..It might work for larger adults in the wild but it has little to no use in the ID of captive fish. The only 100% concrete manner to ID these fish is to know the location where they or the breeding stock they came from originated. even when examining known fish with known locality data attached the whole 2/3rd thing was useless for ID purposes..The bony plates can only be observed when you cut out the opercular cover so obviously this is not such a good way tho ID you fish if you want it alive..

 

[me_wee_todded]

its a good looking fish
sweet pick up

dont wanna seem stupid but is it possible for floridas and spotteds hybridize?

 

[demjor19]

When I was first looking at it the snout length for the size of fish was looking a bit longer and narrower than typical for most Florida. Looking again though I'm still unsure and it could be either one of them..Time will tell on that one...QUOTE]

in the last picture i also thought the snout looked a bit longer. i'm not sure if it is just a trick of the camera though.

 

[zix]

is legal gars in Brasil ?

 

[Polypterus]

its a good looking fish
sweet pick up

dont wanna seem stupid but is it possible for floridas and spotteds hybridize?

There is some evidence that some of the 'Florida gars' being imported from farms in Asia are in fact hybrids with spotteds. The big problem with this is there is no clear hard data (these farms are just not talking) and much of it is anecdotal.

 

[plausible]

haha...i used to think that was accurate.

it is.. isnt it?

 

[demjor19]

it is.. isnt it?

see post #22.

 

[plausible]

lol i see... someone posted that on another site when i asked to id mine =X
so im getting the wrong info

 

[me_wee_todded]

There is some evidence that some of the 'Florida gars' being imported from farms in Asia are in fact hybrids with spotteds. The big problem with this is there is no clear hard data (these farms are just not talking) and much of it is anecdotal.

Ok.
So it may be slightly possible that this fish in question could be from said farms,and could be in fact a hybrid?