Animalscaretips
The fossil record traces the existence of gars like the Alligator gar back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago.
- How long has alligator gar been around?
- Where did the alligator gar come from?
- How old is the oldest alligator gar?
- How many alligator gar are left in the world?
- How old is a 7 foot alligator gar?
- Are alligator gars in Texas?
- Are alligator gars prehistoric?
- How common are alligator gars?
- What is the biggest arapaima in the world?
- How long do alligator gars live for?
- What is the biggest bluegill ever caught?
- What is the biggest fish ever caught?
- What's the biggest alligator ever caught?
- Is an alligator gar a dinosaur?
How long has alligator gar been around?
The Alligator gar is sometimes referred to as a “living fossil” because scientists can trace them in the fossil record back 100 million years! This majestic fish is the largest of the seven species of gar found in North America, Central America, and Cuba.
Where did the alligator gar come from?
RANGE: Alligator gar range from southwestern Ohio and southern Illinois to the Mississippi River drainage basin. Their range continues south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain from the Ecofina River in Florida to Veracruz, Mexico.
How old is the oldest alligator gar?
In 2011, a commercial fisherman accidentally caught the largest alligator gar on record in Mississippi's Lake Chotard. The gar was 8.5 feet long, weighed 327 pounds and was believed to be 94 years old.
How many alligator gar are left in the world?
There are only seven gar species alive today, but there were more earlier in the fossil record.
How old is a 7 foot alligator gar?
Alligator gar can live for many decades. They grow very fast when young, but growth slows with age. In general, for every additional foot the fish grows, its age doubles. A 3-foot gar is typically about 2.5 years old; a 4-foot gar about 5, and a 7-foot trophy catch might be 40 years old.
Are alligator gars in Texas?
Alligator gar, like other gar species, are tolerant of salt water, and can be found in every coastal bay system in Texas, including Galveston, Corpus Christi, Matagorda, San Antonio and Laguna Madre — and within the intercoastal canal system.
Are alligator gars prehistoric?
Range and habitat
The prehistoric relatives of the species first appeared 157 million years ago and inhabited many parts of the world. Today, however, gars live only in North and Central America.
How common are alligator gars?
Reports suggest alligator gar were once numerous throughout much of their northern range, but valid sightings today are rare, and may occur once every few years.
What is the biggest arapaima in the world?
Arapaima can reach lengths more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in), in some exceptional cases even exceeding 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and over 100 kg (220 lb). The maximum recorded weight for the species is 200 kg (440 lb), while the longest recorded length verified was 3.07 meters (10 ft 1 in).
How long do alligator gars live for?
Alligator gars can live to be 50 years old in nature. I can weigh up to 350 pounds and grow 10 feet in length. Adults are generally 4 to 6 feet long and weigh 100 to 160 pounds. My International Game Fish Association World Record from the Rio Grande River in Texas weighed 279 pounds.
What is the biggest bluegill ever caught?
The Biggest Bluegill in the World
The world record bluegill recorded by IGFA or the International Gamefish Association was caught in 1950 at Ketona Lake, Alabama. This bluegill weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 12 ounces and came in at 15 inches long with an astounding girth of 18-¼ inches.
What is the biggest fish ever caught?
The largest fish ever caught which is verified and listed by the IGFA is a 2,664lb (1208kg) great white shark. It was caught by Australian angler Alfred Dean in April 1959 off the coast of Ceduna, in South Australia.
What's the biggest alligator ever caught?
Louisiana Alligator
The alligator which is claimed to be the largest to have been ever recorded was found on Marsh Island, Louisiana, in 1890. It was killed near Vermilion Bay in southern Louisiana. It measured 19.2 ft. (5.85 m) in length, and weighed somewhere around 2000 lbs – allegedly.
Is an alligator gar a dinosaur?
He explained there are four species of gar in Texas: longnose, spotted, shortnose and alligator gar. And I wasn't so wrong about it being a dinosaur … their ancestors have been found in Permian deposits as fossils from 215 million years ago. They are ancient fish and true Texas natives.
