The Alligator Gar

Though it features "alligator" in its name, this animal is not nearly as scary as the real alligator. However, it is the largest gar species alive today and is only found in the Americas. It is prehistoric-- it lived with the dinosaurs! The alligator gar is only aggressive when provoked. If you try to catch it, it will put up a fight. Alligator gar fishing is a sport of choice in many leisure fishing circles. It may look quite scary with its double row of upper sharp teeth, capability to grow up to 10 feet long, and its recorded weights of over 300 pounds. The scariest part? This fish is a brackish and saltwater fish. Imagine water skiing in the middle of a lake and upon a fall, having your leg brushed by none other than the Alligator Gar. I'd be a little scared, to say the least. You can see where this fish gets its name. It looks like an alligator in size and shape, and it also features sharp teeth and sometimes aggressive behavior.

The middle picture features a recently caught gar caught in an Oklahoma lake, supposed to weigh 327 pounds and measure to be 8 feet 10 inches tall. There are debates about whether or not this information is accurate, but nonetheless, the immensity of the fish is unbelievable. Although bigger numbers have been reported such as the ones above, the "world record" Alligator Gar was caught in 1951 in Rio Grande, Mexico, weighing 279 pounds. No one has beaten this world record since because of strict regulations on fishing, differing standards of weighing scales, and other similar factors. However, a 302 pound gar was also reported in the same area at the same time period.




Although you probably haven't awed at the cuteness factor of this slimy brethren, you've at least learned something interesting about a prehistoric creature and its current popularity with the competitive fishing crowds!