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fishy-stitching · 8 months

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longnose gar

#embroidery #longnose gar #gar #fiber arts #art #fish #textiles

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bethanythebogwitch · 10 months

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This Wet Beast Wednesday I'm going to talk about gars. This needs some clarification because there are a lot of different fish called gar, garfish, or garpike. I'm referring to fish of the family Lepisostidae, the only surviving members of the ancient clade Ginglimodi, which I mostly brought up because Ginglimodi is a funny name.

(image: a longnose gar)

Gars are predatory fish found exclusively in North and Central America, though they have been introduced outside of their native range. Their ancestors evolved in Triassic period and once occupied most of North America and large portions of Europe back when the continents were still connected. They are freshwater fish, though a few species will go into brackish or even marine waters temporarily. The name "gar" is though to come from the old english word for "spear", which is appropriate as gar are very elongated fish and often have pointy snouts. Many other groups of elongated fish are also given the common name of gar or garfish for this reason. Their long snouts are filled with sharp teeth which are used to crush through shells and flesh. Gars are opportunistic predators who feed largely on crustaceans, frogs, and fish and will eat carrion if they find it. The long snouts are also used to dig through sediment in search of prey They move slowly through the water, but are capable of short bursts of speed to catch prey. Most species are apex predators with no natural predators as adults.

(image: a longnose gar with mouth open, displaying the teeth)

The body of a gar is covered with thick, diamond-shaped scales. Their scales are an ancient variety known as ganoid scales which are notable for their shape and composition. Where most bony fish scales have layers of a spongy, bony substance called cosmene, ganoid scales instead have an enamel-like substance called dentine, which is also a component in teeth. The scales are also covered in a rigid, glassy substance called ganoine where other scales use enameloid. Ganoid scales also don't overlap, instead laying next to each other in a manner that provided protection while still allowing flexibility. The result is a suit of armor that makes gar very durable. Because of how durable the scales are, they habe been used by humans for many purposes. Multiple Native American groups would use scales as arrowheads, there are reports of native Caribbean peoples wearing breastplates made of gar skin, and Europeans colonists would layer their plow heads with the scales to protect the,. There is currently a market for jewelry made of the scales.

(image: a close-up of ganoid scales)

(image: an arrowhead made of a gar scale)

Gar typically lay their eggs in early spring, with the female coating vegetation with thousands of sticky eggs. The eggs are toxic to humans, capable of causing sickness when ingested. Because of this, they are unsuitable for caviar. Scientists initially thought that the toxin was an adaptation to prevent predation, but natural predators of the eggs like channel catfish and bluegill are immune. Crayfish are affected by the eggs, though it's not clear if the poison is an adaptation targeting them or not.

(image: a shortnose gar)

The swim bladder of gar is highly vascularized, allowing them to act as lungs. Most gar will surface occasionally to take a gulp of air. While they are capable of surviving on their gills alone in good-quality water, air gulping allows gar to thrive in low-oxygen water where their prey will be sluggish from oxygen deprivation. Most species live around 20 years, but the alligator gar can live upwards of 70 years.

(image: a spotted gar)

There are seven living species of Gar: the Cuban gar, tropical gar, spotted gar, longnose gar, shortnose gar, Florida gar, and alligator gar. The shortenose gar is the smalles species, reaching an average length of 62.5 cm (24.6 in) while the alligator gar is the largest species and one of the largest of all American freshwater fish at an average length of 1.8 m (6 ft) in length. The largest alligator gar on record measured in 2.57 m (8 ft 5 in) and 148 kg (327 lbs). Alligator gar were long considered a nuisance species by fishermen as they preyed on sportfish and as a result, they were frequently killed. This resulted in population losses and the fish being extirpated from many states it was once native to. Now multiple states have laws and regulations protecting them and the population is starting to see a resurgence. Alligator gar and now a popular sportfish and have been introduced to places outside of their native range, becoming an invasive species in many areas including China.

(image: two fishermen with an alligator gar)

Gar meat is edible and is described as having a very unique taste compared to other fish meat. They are not commonly eaten in modern times, but some people consider them a delicacy. Gar meat is known to carry environmental toxins like pollutants and heavy metals, which can make eating them risky. Gar are mostly fished for their scales or for sport. Only the Cuban car is endangered (and critically so) while other species may be locally endangered, but as a whole are not threatened. Gar are used as aquarium fish due to their unique appearance, though they need large tanks due to their size.

(image: a close-up of an alligator gar's head)

#wet beast wednesday #aquatic biology #fishblr #fish #ecology #zoology #animal facts #gar #longnose gar #shortnose gar #alligator gar

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snototter · 6 months

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A longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) surfaces the Thames in Ontario, Canada

by G. Sito

#longnose gar #gars #bony fish #fish #lepisosteus osseus #lepisosteus #lepisosteidae #lepisosteiformes #actinopterygii #chordata #wildlife: canada #wildlife: north america

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fish-daily · 8 months

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Longnose gar?

fish 168 - longnose gar

#fish #fish daily #longnose gar #gar #drawing

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thenativetank · 6 months

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Longnose Gar at ABQ Biopark Aquarium in NM. Apparently these guys were once native to this range and have since been extirpated.

#nanf #native fish #fishcommunity #fishblr #Gar #Longnose gar

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chocolatespyro · 4 months

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merry christmas here is your gift

Thank you :) fish

#fish #longnose gar #they look like a sweetheart

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uwuinhell · 5 months

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Let's start a thread of things that Should be thrown like a spear (or spear-adjacent)

I'll go first;

This fucking fish

#gar #longnose gar #spear #spear throwing

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boiledegghole · 1 year

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fish friday is here

#fish #art #heavily inspired by kwakwakaʼwakw art #i really respect their art and artists. im a big fan of willie seaweed's style #which largely served as inspiration for this artstyle here #the fish here are:#salmon #longnose gar #betta fish #the longnose gar is my favorite fish

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one-fish-a-day · 2 months

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longnose gar?

Day 61

#fish #fish art #my art #not biologically accurate #no environment #Longnose gar #Day 61

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fishyfishyfishtimes · 2 years

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Daily fish fact #227

Gars! (Pictured here is a longnose gar)

Fossil records indicate that gars used to be widespread, occupying every continent except Australia and Antarctica! Currently living species can only be found in North America, though. They can usually be found in shallow, freshwater or brackish water habitats.

#fish #fishfact #fish facts #biology #zoology #aquatic #fishblr #gar #alligator gar #longnose gar

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marshclaws · 2 years

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Leopardstar as my favorite fish, the longnose gar!

#warrior cats #art #Leopardstar #longnose gar #warriors #warriors designs #designs #marsh draws

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vlkphoto · 8 months

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Lepisosteus osseus

A Longnose Gar cuts through a barrier opening in the marine tank at the Aquarium. Toronto, ON.

A fish of the Great Lakes basin, Longnose gars have a protective covering of thick, interlocking scales. Few predators are capable of taking on the longnose gar's suit of armour.

#Sony #WalkCam #RX100M2 #fauna #fish #Longnose Gar #Lepisosteus osseus #Aquarium #Toronto #Ontario #Canada #cropped

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bethanythebogwitch · 9 months

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I found a bunch of pictures from my last job working with wild fish and I figured some of you critter-lovers would enjoy them

The angriest red-eared slider I've ever seen

mmmmmMMMMWWAAAAAAAHHH! (paddlefish)

A northern pike. These were always hard to work with because they're super slippery.

Grasp it firmly in your hand (paddlefish)

"I told you, mom, it's not just a phase!" (bighead carp)

Long, long man (longnose gar)

The biggest smallmouth buffalo we caught

The size of this lad (bighead carp)

That's a cute kitty (channel catfish I think)

Softshell turtles wake up every morning and choose violence. This one was trying to bite my finger off as I was taking its picture.

I've never seen a grouchy pancake before (softshell turtle)

Most turtles are chill. Snapping turtles are angry enough to for the rest of them

A freshwater drum. These guys make a grunting noise when they're upset

A bucked o' snoots. Pretty sure we were collecting these so fish and wildlife could tag and release them. (paddlefish)

A water snake

A juvenile gar. Just as pointy as the adults

I have apprehended the criminal

A bigger drum. This was more around the size we usually caught

A very shiny river carpsucker

A very mossy man (red-eared slider)

Anyone want to play darts? (longnose gar)

Looking very dignified (painted turtle?)

Take this, it will be important in your quest (common carp)

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thesingingbullfrog · 1 year

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#gar #longnose gar #fish #nature photography #original photography

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cypherdecypher · 2 years

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Animal of the Day!

Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus)

(Photo by Will Parson)

Conservation Status- Least Concern

Habitat- North America; Central America

Size (Weight/Length)- 22 kg; 182 cm

Diet- Fish; Insects; Crabs

Cool Facts- Having existed in North America for over 100 million years, longnose gar are one of the most prehistoric fish. They prefer freshwater lakes or brackish coastal marshes. True to their name, longnose gar have an extended snout filled with needle sharp teeth. However, despite their size and fearsome appearance, they pose little threat to humans. Longnose gar populations are slowly declining due to overfishing and habitat loss but if they survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs they will most likely continue to thrive in a human dominated world.

Rating- 11/10 (An apex predator strutting its stuff.

#Animal of the day #Animals #Fish #Tuesday #July 26 #Longnose gar #biology #science #conservation #the more you know

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antiqueanimals · 2 years

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About Fish: A Guide for Children, written by Cathryn Sill and illustrated by John Sill, 2005.

#fish #bony fish #gar #longnose gar #John Sill

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