Summary ²

Family: Lepisosteidae

Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) live in still-to-slow-moving water, usually with aquatic vegetation. They have the ability to swallow air and force it into their swim bladder, which functions as a type of simple lung. This enables these fish to live in warm waters that typically have less oxygen. They are ambush predators, feeding primarily on fishes.

How to recognize: Elongate cylindrical body. Long thin jaws. Mouth filled with small needle-like teeth. Scales are thick and durable, creating a formidable body armor. Up to 5 feet / 1.5 meters long.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) alavire, all rights reserved
2. (c) alavire, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Fish Database of Taiwan
• FishBase
• FishSource
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet
• World Register of Marine Species

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