confused...

[vinodlaxmikanth]

I'm confused...
I'm not too sure if the juvenile gar i bought today is an alligator gar or a florida gar or a spotted gar...????

The fish shops here have a tendency to misname the fish they sell especially when it comes to subspecies.... it called the one i bought an 'alligator gar' but then when i went online i saw pictures of alligator gars... and they look totally different...
then again i'm not too sure if this is because it's still juvenile...

it looks more like a florida gar to me....

i'm worried cos' i read that alligator gars can grow up to 8 feet... and no way do i have any capacity or interest in keeping a fish that big!!!
help!!!

 

[Infblue]

do you have a pic? how big is it? you can tell a gator gar apart from the other two even for juveniles

 

[Polypterus]

I'm confused...
I'm not too sure if the juvenile gar i bought today is an alligator gar or a florida gar or a spotted gar...????

The fish shops here have a tendency to misname the fish they sell especially when it comes to subspecies.... it called the one i bought an 'alligator gar' but then when i went online i saw pictures of alligator gars... and they look totally different...
then again i'm not too sure if this is because it's still juvenile...

it looks more like a florida gar to me....

i'm worried cos' i read that alligator gars can grow up to 8 feet... and no way do i have any capacity or interest in keeping a fish that big!!!
help!!!

Most.... if not practicly all LFS call all Gar Alligator gar this is nothing unusual. Post a pic and It can be ID'ed in short time. At least to Genus if not species itself.

 

[Bichirs man]

does the gar have a stubby snout?

 

[Polypterus]

does the gar have a stubby snout?

Snout size is largly irrelivent in most juvinile Lepisosteus unless you know what you are looking at. A stubby snout alone does not give clues to the species being atractosteus nor Lepisosteus. Other morphological features determine ID at a small size.