Spotted Gar

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Lepisosteiformes
• Family: Lepisosteidae
• Genus: Lepisosteus
• Species: L. oculatus

Fun Facts

• Gar have a specialized swim bladder which allows them to gulp air and live in poorly oxygenated back waters.
• They are primitive fish and date back to the Cretaceous period, some 62 to 100 million years ago.
• The ancestors of spotted gar swam with dinosaurs.
• Spotted gar eat fish.
• Their long snout-like mouth is lined with strong, sharp teeth, and their body is covered with thick ganoid (diamond shape) scales.
• They can reach for 3 feet in length and weigh up to 8 pounds.