how does it lack pattern? it has a tan dorsum, lateral stripe, and lighter belly...this is by definition a pattern on the fish. for juvenile gars, particularly Lepisosteus genus, this is the standard pattern.
the fish, if you compare to the true vs. false gar ID pinned topics looks nothing like a marble gar if the diagnostics are taken into account (no forked tail, no nostrils near the eyes, but instead at the tip of the snout, etc). --
--solomon