Lepisosteiformes

[city_of_evil6661]

Lepisostidae (gar)


[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Lepisosiformes[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Family: Lepisostidae[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Lepisostieds: There are 2 genus of gar. Lepisosteus and Atractosteus. In these 2 genus there are 7 species and 3 hybrid species.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Species Lepisosteus:[/FONT]
L.osseus (Longnose gar)
L.platostomos(shortnose gar)
L.platyrhincus (florida gar)
L.oculatus(spotted gar)

Species Atractosteus:
A.spatula(alligator gar)
A.tropicus(tropical gar)
A.tristoechus(cuban gar)

3 hybrid species (Crocodile gar)
Croc. gar type 1: L.platostomos x A.spatula
Croc. gar type 2: L.platyrhincus or oculauts x A. spatula
Croc. gar type 3: L.osseus x A.spatula.

 

[city_of_evil6661]

Lepisosteus osseus (longnose gar)


[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]L.osseus (longnose gar)[/FONT]

general: L.osseus or longnose gar are the 2nd largest of the gar species. They can be easily identified by their long, narrow snout and their slender body. They are found throughout the eastern United States excpet the extreme northeast parts. They inhabant most backwaters and drainage systems. they can be seen floating on the top of the water resembling a log. They have a swim bladder enabling them live in very low oxygenated water. very poor quality water at that. but if you own one its best to keep their water crystal clear.

Size: A juvenile gar is any length below 6". In the wild a mature osseus maxes out around 6'. However in captivity they max out somewhere in between 24 and 36". making this fish not suitable for a beginner gar keeper.

[FONT=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Description: Sometimes you cant tell gar species apart from one another when they are juveniles. They all have a Goldish/Brown upper body with a dark stripe down the middle and a whittish belly. They also have a Reddish extension on their tail to help them swim when they are young. This extension grows into the tail when the reach 4-6". Once they reach 6-7" you can tell the species alittle better(applys to all gar). L. osseus vary in coloration given every individual fish. this goes for all fish. But most are a brownish color on the upper body with a dark stripe down the middle, much like all juveniles. Also with all gar longnose have a rounded tail, 2 anal fins( one on top and one on bottom) and a set of fins more toward the middle of the body and and set just behind the head. [/FONT]

Tanksize(do's and dont's): Due to the mature size of this fish, it may not be suitable for a beginner gar keeper. A mature L.osseus is between 24 and 36". But given the individual fish, size will vary. If the fish stays smaller around 24" then a 6 ft. long, 3 ft. wide, and 2ft. deep tank should be fine. But if your fish grows to be around 36" then a decent size pond or fairly large tank will be needed. A 36" long fish will need atleast a 9x6x2 tank, but perferably a pond. But with gar(espesially longnose) a bigger tank isnt always better. If the fish is spooked you dont want the fish to be able to crash into the side of the tank and break its back. A 2" fish should be kept in a small fish bowl or tank. a 4-5" fish should be kept in a 10 gallon and so on. This is called the step up method, keep the fish in one tank until it outgrows it and then step him up to the next tank size. until he is in his final home. Just because i said a bigger tank isnt always better, that doesnt mean you should cramp your fish. always make sure the width of the tank is double the size of your fish. Giving the fish enough room to turn.

Feeding: Feeing an osseus is almost if not identicle to feeding all gar. Try to get them off feeders ASAP. (even though it is cool watching the fish eat live food. its not the healthiest idea for your fish) and get them on a more varied diet. Getting the fish of feeders may or may not be easy, it depends on the individual fish. Although feeding on live food is a gars natural instict, like i said before, its not always the healthiest. Try getting them on prepared foods such as pellets, prawn, krill, and shrimp. These foods will keep your fish nice and healthy. If you decide you want to use feeders, breed them yourself or quarentine them for atleast 2 weeks. To ensure that the feeders are healthy. Goldfish in particular arent healthy because they are filled with fat. And thats not healthy. The reason i mentioned breeding your own feeders or quarentining them is because the feeder fish may carry diseases and parasites that could be transmitted to your fish and im sure you dont want that to happen. This section should cover all gar and shouldnt have to be brought up again.

 

[city_of_evil6661]

LEPISOSTEUS PLATYRHINCUS / OCULATUS

Flordia / Spotted Gar

General:
These species are called Flordia/Spotted because they look almost identical. Their care is almost identical. Just about the only way to tell the difference between the two species is to know the exact location where they was obtained. They are found as far East as Alabama, as far North as Illinois, and as far West as the middle of Texas. Lake Erie, S. Lake Michigan Drainages, Mississippi River Drainage, from Illinois South to East Oklahoma, East Tennessee; Gulf Coast Streams from West Flordia to Central Texas (this range is for Spotted Gar). Flordia Gar are foung throughout Flordia and in some water ways in South Georgia.

Size:
A mature L. platyrhincus/oculatus in the wild is around 3 feet. But in captivity they reach anywhere from 18 to 24 inches.

Description:
Juvenile L. platyrhincus/oculatus look like any other species until they reach 5 to 6 inches. They have a brownish top, dark stripe down the side and a whitish belly, but as they mature they turn to a golden yellow color on top and the dark stripe turns into spots, but it still has the whitish belly.

Tank Size (Do's and Don'ts):
Although they are less likely to break their back, you should still take precautions and do the same things that are to be done with L. osseus. Since they don't get quite as large as L. osseus, they are the perfect fish for a beginner gar keeper, because they don't require all the room a L. osseus or an A. spatula do. For a L. platyrhincus/oculatus an 180 gallon should be good for life (with a few tanks in between).

Feeding:
Feeding a L. platyrhincus/oculatus is almost if not identical to feeding all gar.Try to get them off feeders ASAP and get them on a more various diet. However, getting them off of feeders may not be easy, it depends on the individual fish. Although feeding on live food is natural instinct for all gar, it's not always healthy for them. Getting them on prepared food such as pellets,prawn, krill, or shrimp will keep your fish happy and healthy. If you decide you want to use feeders, breed them yourself or quarintine them for atleast two weeks to ensure that the feeders are healthy. Goldfish in particular are not healthy because they are filled with fat and that is not nutritous for your fish. Breeding or quarentinig your fish will ensure that they do not have diseases that can be transmitted to your gar as with parasites.

Tank Mates:
Other gar species (except for A. spatula), ploypterids (birchirs), some species of arowana (silver or black). But if you are a beginner gar keeper, polypterids and other gars are the best tank mates. But as you get more experienced or if you have experience already you can experiment with tank mates.

References:
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales and Dolphins

 

[city_of_evil6661]

LEPISOSTEUS PLATOSTOMOS

Shortnose Gar

General:
L. platostomos are North Americas smallest lepisosteid species. They have a broad snout like that of an A. spatula. They are found in the Michigan River Basin, from South Central Ohio, Northern Indiana and Wisconsin.

Size:
Mature fish max out at around 20 to 25 inches in captivity. In the wild they get up to 33 inches.

Description:
Shortnose Gar lack pattern that the rest of the gar family have which makes it easier to ID them. They almost look like an A. spatula but a bit smaller. They are a brownish color with a white belly with a short broad snout.

Tank Size (Do's and Don'ts):
You should start the fish out in something small as with all other gar species if it is a juvenile under 6 inches. But also make sure the fish isn't cramped up. 72" x 50" x 24" is a minimum size tank desirable for an adult fish.

Feeding:
Feeding an L. platostomos is almost if not identical to feeding all gar. Try to get them off feeders ASAP and get them on a more various diet. However, getting them off of feeders may not be easy, it depends on the individual fish. Although feeding on live food is natural instinct for all gar, it's not always healthy for them. Getting them on prepared food such as pellets,prawn, krill, or shrimp will keep your fish happy and healthy. If you decide you want to use feeders, breed them yourself or quarintine them for atleast two weeks to ensure that the feeders are healthy. Goldfish in particular are not healthy because they are filled with fat and that is not nutritous for your fish. Breeding or quarentinig your fish will ensure that they do not have diseases that can be transmitted to your gar as with parasites.

Tank Mates:
Other gar species (except for A. spatula), ploypterids (birchirs), some species of arowana (silver or black). But if you are a beginner gar keeper, polypterids and other gars are the best tank mates. But as you get more experienced or if you have experience already you can experiment with tank mates.

not sure if the shortnose info is entirely correct. when i was researching them i pulled the info that made the most since to me.

References:
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales and Dolphins

 

[city_of_evil6661]

ATRACTOSTEUS SPATULA

Alligator Gar

General:
A. spatula are the largest of the gar species. One of the largest freshwater fish in North America, if not the world. Juveniles can be ID'd by the larger fins and their broad snout. They are also the most aggressive of the gar species.

Size:
A. spatula can reach up to 10 feet in the wild but it is rare to see them at that size. A mature fish in the wild will most likely stay around 6 to 8 feet. In captivity they max out at around 5 feet. And if you care for one right you can own quite an impressive speciman.

Range:
Thorughout Louisiana, Eastern Texas, West and South West Mississippi, South West Alabama and the tip of the Flordia panhandle. South Illinois.

Description:
They look alittle different from most juvenile gars. Because of their broad snout (similar to the Shortnose gar) and their larger fins. A. spatula and L. platostomos look almost identical when they are Juveniles. As they mature they are a brownish color. They have a light brownish black stripe down the middle of their body. They have 2 rows of teeth on their upper jaw. Which their teeth are large. The length of the jaw is shorter than the remainder of the head.

Tank Size (Do's and Don'ts):
Unlike other gar, A. spatula can reach 2 feet in about a year. As they grow they will eventually require a large pond or pool. A 24' x 12' x 4' would be great. But if you get a juvenile A. spatula you will need grow out tanks. This is not the fish for a beginner gar keeper.

Feeding:
Feeding an A. spatula is almost if not identical to feeding all gar.
Try to get them off feeders ASAP and get them on a more various diet. However, getting them off of feeders may not be easy, it depends on the individual fish. Although feeding on live food is natural instinct for all gar, it's not always healthy for them. Getting them on prepared food such as pellets,prawn, krill, or shrimp will keep your fish happy and healthy. If you decide you want to use feeders, breed them yourself or quarintine them for atleast two weeks to ensure that the feeders are healthy. Goldfish in particular are not healthy because they are filled with fat and that is not nutritous for your fish. Breeding or quarentinig your fish will ensure that they do not have diseases that can be transmitted to your gar as with parasites.

Tank Mates:
They are the most aggressive of the gar species. They are natural born killers and they are best kept alone. If you do decide to keep tank mates, make it a fish you don't mind losing. They will try and eat anything, and if they can't eat it they will kill it.

References:
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales and Dolphins

 

[city_of_evil6661]

cant really find any good info for A.tropicus and tristoechus. but as soon as i do i will post it and see what you guys think.

 

[E_americanus]

hey neil,

you have good intentions with this but there is a lot of work to be done and several errors to fix. i would start with the spelling errors on some of the scientific names as well as the classification system. also, hybrid gars are not species, but a combination of two species.

instead of posting what is found in a book, i would just post the book (or link to the book) as a reference unless you are contributing your own personal information to it. if you are including your own information about these fishes, make sure you have the experience to back it up.

we are continuously working on updating the primitivefishes site with accurate information (and have a ways to go on the species capsules), but for now, just reference the decent threads on this site, AP, or other pages which have decent, accurate information.

again, good effort here, but make sure to thoroughly check your facts (although it seems you wanted us to give you feedback here, so hopefully that's how you take this post) --
--solomon

 

[city_of_evil6661]

hey neil,

you have good intentions with this but there is a lot of work to be done and several errors to fix. i would start with the spelling errors on some of the scientific names as well as the classification system. also, hybrid gars are not species, but a combination of two species.

instead of posting what is found in a book, i would just post the book (or link to the book) as a reference unless you are contributing your own personal information to it. if you are including your own information about these fishes, make sure you have the experience to back it up.

we are continuously working on updating the primitivefishes site with accurate information (and have a ways to go on the species capsules), but for now, just reference the decent threads on this site, AP, or other pages which have decent, accurate information.

again, good effort here, but make sure to thoroughly check your facts (although it seems you wanted us to give you feedback here, so hopefully that's how you take this post) --
--solomon

i knew there were a few errors but didnt know which portion of info it was in. cuz alot websites and books give false info. and i figured i would try to post a species classification thread and give tips on how to care for them. cuz richard has posted just about everything else there is to know. but i will work on it and fix the errors. BTW thanks for your input solomon.

 

[bassman440]

sweet very informative.

 

[city_of_evil6661]

sweet very informative.

thanks, but not everything is correct and im working on fixing it.