Species profile
Alligator Gar
Atractosteus spatula
At a glance
Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 16 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Arkansas); the most generous is 100 (Missouri).
Confirmed by 654 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Can exceed 2.4 m (8 feet) in length and 136 kg (300 lbs) in weight.
- Breathes atmospheric air using a modified swim bladder that functions like a primitive lung.
- Its interlocking ganoid scales are among the hardest produced by any freshwater fish.
- Females can live more than 50 years, making them one of North America's longest-lived freshwater fish.
- Has two rows of large fang-like teeth in the upper jaw — unusual among North American fish.
Where Alligator Gar are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Alligator Gar
Background
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…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Alligator Gar article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.