My friend has had this gar for about a year now, he had it a 6 inches, and is now about 14-16 inches, and about 1 inch in diameter. He just noticed a few days ago that the body appears "broken" right around the mid body. I told him to bring it over to see if I can find something on the net to assist in aiding the poor fish. I am tempted to splint it with a popsicle stick or some sort, and tape it around to "straighten" the body. He also has a similar sized gar in the tank, and recently acquired a 16" Arapaima. He suspects the Arapaima might've accidentally slammed against it while competing for food.... The body is bent, and it does not appear to be broken since it can move the body side to side, and the fins appear to be moving...I would think a broken spine would result in a "paralysis". I currently have it in a tank that has Prazipro, with other healthy "quarantined" fish.
