Summary ²

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a ray-finned euryhaline fish related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei /hoʊˈlɒstiaɪ/. It is the biggest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fish in North America. The fossil record traces its group's existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago. Gars are often referred to as "primitive fishes", or "living fossils" because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their earl

Sources and Credits

1. (c) ProjectManhattan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alligator_gar_(Atractosteus_spatula).JPG
2. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atractosteus_spatula

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