Making Crocodile Gars

[Polypterus]

-although we may be able to get them to spawn naturally (especially with such large quarters), if we did attempt a spawning (for experiments) we would probably still use some hormones. right now virtually all the fish in the collection are mature except for the gator (and Croc II is likely infertile, but who knows). another good thing about Shedd is a nearly endless supply of zooplankton for the larvae...which would have come in handy with our UM-SNRE experiments back in the day!!!--
--solomon

How I so wish we had that a few years back!!!!!

 

[sbuse]

i have been looking at breeding gars myself. i could possibly get shortnose gars in the future and i plan on a breeding group of them, but that has to have alot of permits here. it will happen though.

would be cool to start seeing some hybrids availible.

sol have i missed something? you moving to chicago? working at the shedd or is there a shedd out by you?


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[E_americanus]

How I so wish we had that a few years back!!!!!

agreed! i think of that anytime i see their zooplankton setups...at least we will have access now (and potentially in the future when we get rolling with some of the other stuff you and i have always talked about)!--

i have been looking at breeding gars myself. i could possibly get shortnose gars in the future and i plan on a breeding group of them, but that has to have alot of permits here. it will happen though.

would be cool to start seeing some hybrids availible.

sol have i missed something? you moving to chicago? working at the shedd or is there a shedd out by you?


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hi scott - yes, i am starting a postdoctoral fellowship in the conservation & research department of Shedd Aquarium (and jointly with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology). i have been transitioning into the new position (still have had work to wrap up here at Michigan) over the past 3 months, and start full-time mid-December. i'll be working with Great Lakes migratory fishes (several species, different capacities), but also some other more exotic projects as well. it looks like at least some of my gars will be making the move with me--
--solomon

 

[sbuse]

that is cool to hear. i hope that works out for you.
i dont know if lake sturgeon are on your migratory list or not. i have vast experience in them and i could if the permits were in place get some fish from the st. crouix for you study. i get everything from 6"-62"+. i have caught and even tagged many sturgeons to date i have caught over 600 fish in the last 8-10 years. let me know if i can help with them.



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[E_americanus]

-quick note - i was able to peak in and check out the Croc III (gator x LNG) gars here at Shedd yesterday - they are about 3' long, perhaps a bit bigger. i'm going to throw together some sort of project so we can monitor them more closely and pull them out to get pics and measurements. there are only two remaining from about 4-6 that survived the initial YOY cannibalism--
--solomon

 

[sbuse]

-quick note - i was able to peak in and check out the Croc III (gator x LNG) gars here at Shedd yesterday - they are about 3' long, perhaps a bit bigger. i'm going to throw together some sort of project so we can monitor them more closely and pull them out to get pics and measurements. there are only two remaining from about 4-6 that survived the initial YOY cannibalism--
--solomon

did they move them? the first time i was there i saw a big gar disply and the last time i was there it was gone.


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[E_americanus]

did they move them? the first time i was there i saw a big gar disply and the last time i was there it was gone.


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last time i saw them on display was about 2006-07; they have been off display for a least a couple years now. they are big...not as stout as regular gators of course, but good size. will know more as i work on my contacts to get them out for photos/measurements in the next couple months--
--SRD

 

[sbuse]

last time i saw them on display was about 2006-07; they have been off display for a least a couple years now. they are big...not as stout as regular gators of course, but good size. will know more as i work on my contacts to get them out for photos/measurements in the next couple months--
--SRD

that makes sence now. i was there ans saw them, then they were gone the next time. made me wonder what happened to them. they had some beast aussy lungs out there aswell. i dont recall if i saw the lungs last time
or not. i was out there about a year ago or so. i may be making a trip out there this year.


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[MonsterMinis]

I saw the lungs this past year when we where there.. I was dissapointed the gar where gone, but glad to hear they are still there.