Alligator Garfish
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Scientific Name: atractosteus spatula Price: Upon Request Origin: North America Family: Lepisosteidae NOT AVAILABLE NOW |
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Other Names: Lepisosteus spatula |
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Technical Info
Temperature: 21 - 25 ℃
pH: 7.8 - 8.2
GH: 8 - 10
Max size: 300 cm
Min Tank size: 5000 Ltr
Position in Aqua: No special swimming level
Description
The Alligator Gar ("Gator Gar"), Atractosteus spatula, is a primitive ray-finned fish. Unlike other Gars, the mature Alligator Gar possesses a dual row of large teeth in the upper jaw. Its name derives from the alligator-like appearance of these teeth along with the fish's elongated snout. The dorsal surface of the Alligator Gar is a brown or olive-color, while the ventral surface tends to be lighter. Their scales are diamond-shaped and interlocking (ganoid) and are sometimes used by Native Americans for jewelry and arrow heads.
Food
The Alligator Gar is a relatively passive, solitary fish that lives in fresh and brackish water bodies in the southeastern U.S. It is carnivorous and feeds by lurking amongst reeds and other vegetation, ambushing prey. Alligator gar have often been suspected in attacks on humans, but none of these attacks have been officially confirmed to be the work of this species.
Breeding
Though the Alligator Gar prefers slow-moving waters of rivers, bayous, and oxbows throughout most of the year, it appears to need spring time inundated floodplain fields or wetland vegetation in order to spawn.
Compatible with
Gars of the genus Atractosteus are generally more aggressive aquarium inhabitants than the closely related Lepisosteus species. They tend not to eat any tankmates they can't fit in their mouths, but even this rules out most of the commonly kept "tankbusters" as long-term companions. It's best kept alone, or with similarly sized conspecifics, although obviously you'd need a tank as large as those in most public aquaria in order to do so.