ALLIGATOR GAR

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Context

• Discovery of alligator gar, a non-native predator fish mostly found in North America, in Srinagar’s Dal Lake surprised experts in Kashmir.

About the fish

• Scientific Name: Atractosteus spatula
• It resembles a crocodile and is classified under the catfish family.
• Alligator gars are indigenous to North America and feed on other fish, but have been found in other areas after their accidental introduction in waterbodies.
• Usually, they don’t attack humans, but they can grow up to eight feet and can be dangerous to indigenous fish species.

Description

• Gars are easily distinguished from other freshwater species by their long, slender, cylindrical bodies, long snouts, and diamond-shaped interlocking (ganoid) scales.
• Alligator gar is the largest of the gar species.
• It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds.
• Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. Coloration is generally brown or olive above and lighter underneath.
• The species name spatulais Latin for "spoon", referring to the creature's broad snout.
• Alligator gar can live for many decades.

Distribution

• Alligator gar are present in the Gulf coastal plain from the Econfina River in Florida west and south to Veracruz, Mexico.
• The historic range extends north in the Mississippi River basin to the lower reaches of the Missouri and Ohio rivers.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/alligator-gar-non-native-predator-fish-found-in-srinagar-s-dal-lake-ahead-of-g20-summit-sparks-humorous-reactions-101683934602775.html