Measuring Gar

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There are two different types of measurements Total length (TL) and Standard Length (SL). Total length is from the tip of the snout to the longest extension of the tail. (But not extension filaments) Standard length is from the tip of the snout to the end of the Caudal peduncle.

Total length is more often used than Standard.
Your choice though but add the type of measurement being used if you doing SL rather than TL.

I.E.. Write 8 inches SL and most in the know know what you are saying. Otherwise it is accepted as Total length as this is the standard.
 
also, you won't see this with gars, but in looking up other fish measurement references you may come across "fork length" which is from the tip of the mouth (or whatever the anterior-most extension is) to the fork in the tail. this measurement is still used by several studies, but more and more are converting to total length.

unfortunately total length (what richard and i use) CAN be somewhat tenuous as caudal fins can be variable in nature...one just assumes that that variation isn't terribly significant in the grand scheme of measurements.--
--solomon
 
Ok thanks a lot for the great answers :)

Looks like I will be re-measuring my fish as i will be converting to total length measurements as well.

(That make my Gars quite a bit bigger in measurement actually :))
 
E_americanus;3998421; said:
also, you won't see this with gars, but in looking up other fish measurement references you may come across "fork length" which is from the tip of the mouth (or whatever the anterior-most extension is) to the fork in the tail. this measurement is still used by several studies, but more and more are converting to total length.

unfortunately total length (what richard and i use) CAN be somewhat tenuous as caudal fins can be variable in nature...one just assumes that that variation isn't terribly significant in the grand scheme of measurements.--
--solomon

HeHeHe... Fork length... I so always forget about that Teleost measurement.
 
Perun;4006902; said:
HeHeHe... Fork length... I so always forget about that Teleost measurement.

hahaha useless teleosts :)

ok well they are good as forage fishes...

and the ones where you can't do fork length do tend to be cooler (Anguilla, Lota, Heterotis...)

--solomon
 
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