Gar hybrid
- Thread starter ampthefrogguy
- Start date
I thought you had two when they were smaller? I ran across a post a while back on "that other fish website" that indicated that you had two of these then traded one away, or where those two separate hybrids (they were just described as "crocodile gars" in that post)?
One would certainly think that there are more out there if these were man-made hybrids from a now-defunct farm.
no, there is only one of these that we know of (obviously the possibility exists, but the origin is still relatively unclear...it's not like the other crocodile gars which were made in decent amount back in the day). i haven't looked at the other post, but there were never two of this type that i had; i have had a few croc I gars over the years, as has Richard...unfortunately those are very hard to come by now as most are dead.
to respond to one of the other questions - size is more in between that of gator and spotted, with some correction given for captivity. attitude is more gator than spotted by far, pattern is pretty much like no other gar and they have an "in between" secondary row of teeth in the upper jaw.
will hopefully get around to shooting updates of all the fish in late January!--
--solomon
Ah, that makes sense. I remembered that post and a story about an LFS near you getting in a weird gar/couple of weird gars which then turned out to be a hybrid/hybrids. It's too bad about the Croc I gars; those would look pretty cool in an aquarium or pond. Have any sources of adult shortnose gars in order to give making those a shot?
Why arnt there more of those type IIs? was it a fluke? And how does someone get a job researching gars? That sounds amazing...
Ah, that makes sense. I remembered that post and a story about an LFS near you getting in a weird gar/couple of weird gars which then turned out to be a hybrid/hybrids. It's too bad about the Croc I gars; those would look pretty cool in an aquarium or pond. Have any sources of adult shortnose gars in order to give making those a shot?
Whole story of this fish is amusing enough to repeat.. The store it was at I was originally the Fish Dept. manager of. They called me to come look at these fish as did the Wholesaler when they came in. At the time I suspected hybrids or maybe by some miracle Tropical gars so I was running around to various shops just to look them over. Earlier in the month I already picked one Croc I up that had an unlikely story of being found in Florida.. The individual that sent it to me swears this up and down but I remain skeptical.. It was free though and was a favorite fish of mine for years... Anyhow back to the Croc II.....
This one stuck out from the rest and I actually intended on buying it but did not put a hold on it as I figured few would see it where it was at or would really be interested in it. By the time I came back from the Bank someone bought it. This someone turns out was Solomon, who was there merely minutes after I left. Later on when Solomon and I connected for the first time we learned of this intricate interlinking.. One of many with Gars before we first met up. Really in any case it would have been that this fish would arrive in either my possession or Solomon's possession and in the end it would have been dually touched on by both of use in some fashion or another anyhow. Fate was in that connection....
Anyhow just some interesting points from the Garchives......
Very cool story. I knew that there was a link between you two and this gar, but I couldn't remember what it was.
Why are there not more of these Croc II's? We do not know nor shall ever know.. It was the work of one fish farm of which we have obtained some information from but then contact went totally silent and we never heard from them again. The farm as we later learned was destroyed in a Hurricane and the owner was never able to recover...
The individual whom created both these Croc I and Croc II hybrids never did say just how many of either he created when he did. He did however just say they where hybrids of "Alligator gar crossed with Spotted Shortnosed gar".. We always suspected Florida gar and never expected spotted.. DNA was conclusive on this though. DNA was also conclusive on the Croc I identity.. SO.... so much for that.... Detail will be provided in time as that is ongoing...
On how do you get a job researching gars? You don't really.... you just focus yourself and do it.. You do not normally get paid for it as a Job. Rather you pay to do it.. Or find by any means a way to scrounge what little you can to do it... A lot of work and study is just a minor understatement... It is a constant struggle on a massive scale of time, attention, Seriously hard work.... networking, Grant writing, and most of all LUCK.... Never want to discourage anyone but know that this field is one that is very demanding of most anything.
