View source for Gar

{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{About|North American freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, not to be confused with marine [[garfish]] or [[needlefish]] of the family Belonidae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Kimmeridgian|recent|[[Late Jurassic]]-recent}}
| image = Lepisosteus oculatus.jpg
| image_caption = [[Spotted gar]]<br>(''Lepisosteus oculatus'')
| display_parents = 
| greatgrandparent_authority = 
| taxon = Lepisosteidae
| authority = [[Georges Cuvier|G. Cuvier]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = * {{Extinct}}''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]''
* {{Extinct}}''[[Britosteus]]''
* {{Extinct}}''[[Masillosteus]]'' 
* {{Extinct}}''[[Cuneatus]]''
* '''Lepisosteini'''
** {{Extinct}}''[[Grandemarinus]]''
** {{Extinct}}''[[Herreraichthys]]''
**  {{Extinct}}''[[Oniichthys]]''
** ''[[Atractosteus]]''
** ''[[Lepisosteus]]''
}}

'''Gars''' are an ancient group of [[ray-finned fish]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] '''Lepisosteidae'''. They comprise seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit [[Fresh water|fresh]], [[Brackish water|brackish]], and occasionally [[marine water]]s of eastern [[North America]], [[Central America]] and [[Cuba]] in the [[Caribbean]],<ref name="filaman.ifm-geomar.de">{{cite web|url=http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=34|title=Family Lepisosteidae - Gars|access-date=2007-04-21}}</ref><ref>Sterba, G: Freshwater Fishes of the World, p. 609, Vista Books, 1962</ref> though extinct members of the family were more widespread. They are the only surviving members of the [[Ginglymodi]], a clade of fish which first appeared during the [[Triassic]] period, over 240&nbsp;million years ago, and are one of only two surviving groups of [[holostei]]an fish, alongside the [[bowfin]]s, which have a similar distribution.<ref name=":9" /> 

Gars have elongated bodies that are heavily armored with [[ganoid scale]]s,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sherman|first1=Vincent R.|last2=Yaraghi|first2=Nicholas A.|last3=Kisailus|first3=David|last4=Meyers|first4=Marc A.|date=2016-12-01|title=Microstructural and geometric influences in the protective scales of Atractosteus spatula|journal=Journal of the Royal Society Interface|language=en|volume=13|issue=125|pages=20160595|doi=10.1098/rsif.2016.0595|issn=1742-5689|pmid=27974575|pmc=5221522}}</ref> and fronted by similarly elongated [[jaw]]s filled with long, sharp teeth. Gars are sometimes referred to as "garpike", but are not closely related to [[pike (fish)|pike]], which are in the fish family [[Esocidae]]. All of the gars are relatively large fish, but the [[alligator gar]] (''Atractosteus spatula'') is the largest; the alligator gar often grows to a length over {{cvt|6.5|ft|order=flip|0}} and a weight over {{cvt|100|lb|order=flip|round=5}},<ref name="FMNH">{{cite web | url= http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/atractosteus-spatula | title= Atractosteus spatula | publisher= Florida Museum of Natural History | access-date=2016-04-21}}</ref> and specimens of up to {{cvt|3|m}} in length have been reported.<ref name="fishbase.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1073|title=Atractosteus spatula - Alligator gar|access-date=2007-07-19}}</ref> Unusually, their vascularised [[swim bladder]]s can function as lungs,<ref name="FB" /> and most gars surface periodically to take a gulp of air. Gar flesh is edible and the hard skin and scales of gars are used by humans, but gar eggs are highly toxic.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2010/04/did-you-know-gar-eggs-make-you-sick/ | title=Did You Know That Gar Eggs Make You Sick? | date=22 April 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kait8.com/story/12355970/gar-eggs-are-toxic/ | title=Gar eggs are toxic | date=22 April 2010 }}</ref>

==Etymology==
The name "gar" was originally used for a species of [[needlefish]] (''[[Belone belone]]'') found in the North Atlantic and likely took its name from the [[Old English]] word for "spear".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gar|title=Gar|access-date=2007-04-21}}</ref> ''Belone belone'' is now more commonly referred to as the "garfish" or "gar fish" to avoid confusion with the North American gars of the family Lepisosteidae.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.cfm?ID=47&GenusName=Belone&SpeciesName=belone&StockCode=57|title=Common Names of Belone belone|access-date=2007-04-21 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071019180912/http://www.fishbase.org/comnames/CommonNamesList.cfm?ID=47&GenusName=Belone&SpeciesName=belone&StockCode=57 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-10-19}}</ref> Confusingly, the name "garfish" is also commonly used for a number of other species of the related genera ''[[Strongylura]], [[Tylosurus]]'', and ''[[Xenentodon]]'' of the family [[Belonidae]].

The [[genus|generic]] name ''Lepisosteus'' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''lepis'' (λεπίς) meaning "scale" and ''osteon'' (ὀστέον) meaning "bone".<ref name="Jordan1896">{{Cite book |last=Jordan |first=David Starr |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Fishes_of_North_and_Middle_America/G8DRAAAAMAAJ? |title=The Fishes of North and Middle America: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Species of Fish-like Vertebrates Found in the Waters of North America, North of the Isthmus of Panama |last2=Evermann |first2=Barton Warren |date=1896 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}</ref> ''Atractosteus'' is similarly derived from Greek, in this case from ''atraktos'' (ἀτρακτὀς), meaning ''spindle.''<ref name="Jordan1896"/>

== Evolution ==

=== Evolutionary history ===
[[File:HMNS gar.jpg|thumb|231x231px|''[[Atractosteus messelensis]]'', an [[Eocene]] gar from the [[Messel pit|Messel]] of [[Germany]]]]
[[File:MasillosteusJaneae.jpg|thumb|231x231px|''[[Masillosteus]]'', an Eocene gar from [[Fossil Butte National Monument|Fossil Butte]], [[Wyoming]]]]
Gars are considered to be the only surviving members of the [[Ginglymodi]], a group of [[Osteichthyes|bony fish]] that flourished in the [[Mesozoic]].<ref name="Nhanulepisosteus" /> The oldest known ginglymodians appeared during the [[Middle Triassic]], over 240&nbsp;million years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Romano|first=Carlo|date=2021|title=A Hiatus Obscures the Early Evolution of Modern Lineages of Bony Fishes|journal=Frontiers in Earth Science|volume=8|pages=672|doi=10.3389/feart.2020.618853|issn=2296-6463|doi-access=free}}</ref> Because they have the slowest known rate of molecular evolution among all jawed vertebrates, it has also slowed down their rate of speciation.<ref>[https://academic.oup.com/evolut/advance-article/doi/10.1093/evolut/qpae028/7615529?searchresult=1&login=false The genomic signatures of evolutionary stasis]</ref> The closest living relatives of gars are the [[Amia (fish)|bowfin]], with the gars and bowfin together forming the clade [[Holostei]]; both lineages diverged during the [[Late Permian]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last1=López-Arbarello |first1=Adriana |last2=Sferco |first2=Emilia |date=March 2018 |title=Neopterygian phylogeny: the merger assay |journal=Royal Society Open Science |language=en |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=172337 |doi=10.1098/rsos.172337 |issn=2054-5703 |pmc=5882744 |pmid=29657820|bibcode=2018RSOS....572337L }}</ref>

The closest extinct relatives of gar are the [[Obaichthyidae]], an extinct group of gar-like fishes from the [[Early Cretaceous]] of Africa and South America, which likely diverged from the ancestors of true gars during the [[Late Jurassic]]. The oldest anatomically modern gar is ''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]'' from the Upper Jurassic ([[Kimmeridgian]]) of [[Mexico]], around 157 million years old. ''Nhanulepisosteus'' inhabited a marine environment unlike modern gars, indicating that gars may have originally been marine fish prior to invading freshwater habitats before the Early Cretaceous.<ref name="Nhanulepisosteus">{{Cite journal|author1=Paulo M. Brito|author2=Jésus Alvarado-Ortega|author3=François J. Meunier|year=2017|title=Earliest known lepisosteoid extends the range of anatomically modern gars to the Late Jurassic|journal=Scientific Reports|volume=7|issue=1|pages=Article number 17830|bibcode=2017NatSR...717830B|doi=10.1038/s41598-017-17984-w|pmc=5736718|pmid=29259200}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Brownstein |first1=Chase Doran |last2=Yang |first2=Liandong |last3=Friedman |first3=Matt |last4=Near |first4=Thomas J. |date=20 December 2022 |title=Phylogenomics of the Ancient and Species-Depauperate Gars Tracks 150 Million Years of Continental Fragmentation in the Northern Hemisphere |url=https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/72/1/213/6946847 |journal=Systematic Biology |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=213–227 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syac080 |pmid=36537110 |access-date=2023-06-05 |via= }}</ref> Although most succeeding gar fossils are known from freshwater environments, at least some marine gars are known to have persisted into the [[Late Cretaceous]], with the likely marine ''[[Herreraichthys]]'' known from Mexico and the definitely marine ''[[Grandemarinus]]'' known from [[Morocco]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Alvarado-Ortega |first1=Jesús |last2=Brito |first2=Paulo M. |last3=Porras-Múzquiz |first3=Héctor Gerardo |last4=Mújica-Monroy |first4=Irene Heidi |date=2016-01-01 |title=A Late Cretaceous marine long snout "pejelagarto" fish (Lepisosteidae, Lepisosteini) from Múzquiz, Coahuila, northeastern Mexico |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566711530032X |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=57 |pages=19–28 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2015.07.009 |bibcode=2016CrRes..57...19A |issn=0195-6671|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Cooper2023">{{cite journal |last1=Cooper |first1=S. L. A. |last2=Gunn |first2=J. |last3=Brito |first3=P. M. |last4=Zouhri |first4=S. |last5=Martill |first5=D. M. |date=2023 |title=A new fully marine, short-snouted lepisosteid gar from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) of North Africa |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=151 |pages=105650 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105650 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2023CrRes.15105650C }}</ref> 

Gars diversified in [[western North America]] throughout the Early Cretaceous. ''Atractosteus'' and ''Lepisosteus'' had already diverged by the end of the Early Cretaceous, about 105 million years ago. From western North America, gars dispersed to regions as disparate as Africa, India, South America and Europe, and fossil remains of gars were widespread worldwide by the end of the Cretaceous.<ref name=":7" />

Several different gar genera survived the [[Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event]], although they remained restricted to North America and Europe after this point. One species (''[[Atractosteus grandei]]'', a relative of the modern [[alligator gar]]) is the oldest known articulated vertebrate specimen of the [[Cenozoic]], with one fossil specimen dated to just a few thousand years after the [[Chicxulub impact]], indicating a rapid recovery of freshwater ecosystems. Two short-snouted gar genera, ''[[Masillosteus]]'' and ''[[Cuneatus]]'', are known from the [[Eocene]] in western North America and Europe, but disappear shortly afterwards. ''Lepisosteus'' and ''Atractosteus'' show a similar initial distribution and eventual contraction, but both genera dispersed to [[Nearctic realm|eastern North America]] prior to their disappearance from western North America and Europe, with ''Atractosteus'' also dispersing further south to the [[Neotropical realm|Neotropics]]. Eastern North America has since served as a vital [[Refugium (population biology)|refugium]] for gars, with ''Lepisosteus'' undergoing a diversification throughout it.<ref name=":7" />

=== Phylogeny ===
The following phylogeny of extant and fossil gar genera was found by Brownstein ''et al''. (2022):<ref name=":7" />

{{clade|{{clade
   |1=†[[Obaichthyidae]]
   |label2='''Lepisosteidae'''
   |2={{clade
      |1=†''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]''
      |2={{clade
          |label1=†Cuneatini
          |1={{clade
              |1=†''[[Masillosteus]]''
              |2=†''[[Cuneatus]]''
          }}
          |label2=Lepisosteini
          |2={{clade
            |1=†''[[Herreraichthys]]''
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
               |1=''[[Atractosteus]]'' [[File:Alligator gar fish (white background).jpg|80 px]]
               |2=†''[[Oniichthys]]'' ("''Atractosteus''" ''falipoui'')
              }}
               |2=''[[Lepisosteus]]'' [[File:Longnose gar flipped.jpg|80 px]]
            }}
       }}
   }}
}}
}}|style=font-size:100%;line-height:80%|label1='''Lepisosteoidea'''}}

A slightly different phylogeny was found by Cooper ''et al'' (2023):<ref name="Cooper2023" />

{{clade|{{clade
   |1=†[[Obaichthyidae]]
   |label2='''Lepisosteidae'''
   |2={{clade
      |1=†''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]''
      |2={{clade
          |label1=Masillosteinae
          |1=†''[[Masillosteus]]''
          |label2=Lepisosteinae
          |2={{clade
             |1=†''[[Cuneatus]]''
          |2={{clade
            |1=†''[[Grandemarinus]]''
            |label2=Lepisosteini
            |2={{clade
               |1={{clade
               |1=''[[Atractosteus]]'' [[File:Alligator gar fish (white background).jpg|80 px]]
               |2=†''[[Oniichthys]]''
              }}
               |2=''[[Lepisosteus]]'' [[File:Longnose gar flipped.jpg|80 px]]
            }}
       }}
   }}
}}
}}
}}|style=font-size:100%;line-height:80%|label1='''Lepisosteoidea'''}}

==Distribution==
[[File:Opacity map of Lepisosteiformes.svg|thumb|left|Distribution of living gars]]
Fossils indicate that gars formerly had a wider distribution, having been found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.<ref name="Nhanulepisosteus" /> Living gars are confined to North America. The distribution of the gars in North America lies mainly in the shallow, [[Brackish water|brackish]] waters off of Texas, Louisiana, and the eastern coast of Mexico, as well as in some of the rivers and lakes that flow into them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/atractosteus-spatula|title=Atractosteus spatula :: Florida Museum of Natural History|website=www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-05-11|date=2017-05-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Lepisosteus_oculatus.html|title=Lepisosteus oculatus (Spotted gar)|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en|access-date=2018-05-11}}</ref> A few populations are also present in the Great Lakes region of the United States, living in similar shallow waters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=756|title=Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) - Species Profile|website=nas.er.usgs.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-05-11}}</ref>

==Anatomy==
[[Image:Gar shedd.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Large gar in an aquarium]]

===Scales===
Gar bodies are elongated, heavily armored with [[ganoid scale]]s, and fronted by similarly elongated [[jaw]]s filled with long, sharp teeth. Their tails are [[heterocercal]], and the [[dorsal fin]]s are close to the tail.<ref name=EoF>{{cite book |editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.|author= Wiley, Edward G.|year=1998|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes|publisher= Academic Press|location=San Diego|pages= 78–79|isbn= 0-12-547665-5}}</ref>

===Swim bladder===
As their vascularised swim bladders can function as lungs,<ref name="FB" /> most gars surface periodically to take a gulp of air, doing so more frequently in stagnant or warm water when the concentration of oxygen in the water is low. Experiments on the swim bladder has shown that the temperature of the water affects which respiration method the gar will use—aerial or aquatic. They increase the aerial breathing rate (breathing air) as the temperature of the water is increased. Gars can live completely submerged in oxygenated water without access to air and remain healthy while also being able to survive in deoxygenated water if allowed access to air.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Renfro|first1=Larry|last2=Hill|first2=Loren|title=Factors Influencing the Aerial Breathing and Metabolism of Gars (Lepisosteus)|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|date=1970|volume=15|issue=1|pages=45–54|jstor=3670201|doi=10.2307/3670201}}</ref> This adaptation can be the result of environmental pressures and behavioral factors.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hill|first1=Loren|title=Social Aspects of Aerial Respiration of Young Gars (Lepisosteus)|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|date=1972|volume=16|issue=3|pages=239–247|jstor=3670060|doi=10.2307/3670060}}</ref> As a result of this organ, they are extremely resilient and able to tolerate conditions that most other fish could not survive.

===Pectoral girdle===
[[File:Lepisosteidae Pectoral Girdle.jpg|thumb|Medial and lateral view of Lepisosteidae pectoral girdle]]

The gar has paired pectoral fins and pelvic fins, as well as an anal fin, a caudal fin, and a dorsal fin.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Becker|first1=George|title=Fishes of Wisconsin|date=1983|pages=239–248|url=http://images.library.wisc.edu/EcoNatRes/EFacs/FishesWI/reference/econatres.fisheswi.i0019.pdf}}</ref> The bone structures within the fins are important to study as they can show [[Homology (biology)|homology]] throughout the fossil record. Specifically, the pelvic girdle resembles that of other [[actinopterygians]] while still having some of its own characteristics. Gars have a postcleithrum—which is a bone that is lateral to the scapula, but do not have postpectorals. Proximally to the postcleithrum, the supracleithrum is important as it plays a critical role in opening the gar's jaws. This structure has a unique internal coracoid lamina only present in the gar species. Near the supracleithrum is the posttemporal bone, which is significantly smaller than other actinopterygians. Gars also have no clavicle bone, although elongated plates have been observed within the area.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Malcolm|first1=Jollie|title=Development of Cranial and Pectoral Girdle Bones of Lepisosteus with a Note on Scales|jstor=1445204|journal=Copeia|volume=1984|issue=2|pages=476–502|publisher=American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)|year=1984|doi=10.2307/1445204}}</ref>

===Morphology===
[[File:Lepisosteus platostomus - fins.jpg|thumb|Fin chart for shortnose gar]]
All the gars are relatively large fish, but the [[alligator gar]] (''Atractosteus spatula'') is the largest. The largest alligator gar ever caught and officially recorded was {{Convert|8|ft|5|in|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} long, weighed {{Convert|327|lb|abbr=on}}, and was {{Convert|47|in|cm|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} around the girth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/alg/ | title=Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) | publisher=Texas Parks & Wildlife Department | access-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> Even the smaller species, such as ''Lepisosteus oculatus'', are large, commonly reaching lengths of over {{convert|60|cm|ft|sigfig=2|abbr=on}}, and sometimes much longer.<ref name=Kodera>Kodera H. ''et al.'': Jurassic Fishes. TFH, 1994, {{ISBN|0-7938-0086-2}}{{page needed|date=June 2015}}</ref>

==Ecology==
Gars tend to be slow-moving fish except when striking at their prey. They prefer the shallow and weedy areas of rivers, lakes, and [[bayou]]s, often congregating in small groups.<ref name="filaman.ifm-geomar.de"/> They are voracious predators, catching their prey in their needle-like teeth with a sideways strike of the head.<ref name=Kodera/> They feed extensively on smaller fish and invertebrates such as crabs.<ref name="fishbase.org"/> Gars are found across much of the eastern portion of North America.<ref name="filaman.ifm-geomar.de"/> Although gars are found primarily in freshwater habitats, several species enter [[brackish]] waters and a few, most notably ''Atractosteus tristoechus'', are sometimes found in the sea. Some gars travel from lakes and rivers through sewers to get to ponds.<ref name="filaman.ifm-geomar.de"/><ref>Monks N. (editor): Brackish Water Fishes, pp 322–324. TFH 2006, {{ISBN|0-7938-0564-3}}</ref>

==Species and identification==
The gar family contains seven extant species, in two genera. This list also includes definitively known fossil taxa, common names for which are based on Grande (2010):<ref name=FB>{{FishBase family|family=Lepisosteidae|year=2009|month=January}}</ref><ref name=":23">{{Cite journal |last=Grande |first=Lance |date=2010 |title=An Empirical Synthetic Pattern Study of Gars (lepisosteiformes) and Closely Related Species, Based Mostly on Skeletal Anatomy. the Resurrection of Holostei |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20787269 |journal=Copeia |volume=2010 |issue=2A |pages=iii–871 |issn=0045-8511}}</ref>

{{cladogram
|title=Cladogram of living gars<ref>Jeremy J. Wright, Solomon R. David, Thomas J. Near: ''Gene trees, species trees, and morphology converge on a similar phylogeny of living gars (Actinopterygii: Holostei: Lepisosteidae), an ancient clade of ray-finned fishes.'' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63 (2012) 848–856 [http://www.yale.edu/eeb/near/73_Wright_et_al2012.pdf PDF]</ref>
|{{clade|style=font-size:80%;line-height:100%;width:300px;
|label1='''Lepisosteidae'''
|1={{clade
  |label1=''Atractosteus''
  |1={{clade
    |1=''[[Atractosteus tropicus|A. tropicus]]''
    |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Atractosteus tristoechus|A. tristoechus]]''
      |2=''[[Atractosteus spatula|A. spatula]]'' [[File:Alligator gar fish (white background).jpg|50 px]]
       }}
     }}
  |label2=''Lepisosteus''
  |2={{clade
     |1={{clade
       |1=''[[Lepisosteus oculatus|L. oculatus]]''
       |2=''[[Lepisosteus platyrhincus|L. platyrhincus]]''
        }}
     |2={{clade
       |1=''[[Lepisosteus osseus|L. osseus]]'' [[File:Longnose gar flipped.jpg|50 px]]
       |2=''[[Lepisosteus platostomus|L. platostomus]]'' <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:Shortnose gar (8741579406).jpg|50 px]]</span>
        }}
      }}
    }}
  }}
}}
Family '''Lepisosteidae'''
* Genus †''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]'' <small>Brito, Alvarado-Ortega & Meunier, 2017</small> 
*Genus †''[[Britosteus]]'' <small>Martinelli ''et al'' 2025</small>
*Genus †''[[Masillosteus]]'' <small>Micklich & Kappert, 2001</small> 
*Genus †''[[Cuneatus]]'' <small>[[Lance Grande|Grande]], 2010</small> (cuneatus gar)
* Tribe '''Lepisosteini'''
**Genus †''[[Herreraichthys]]'' <small>Alvarado-Ortega ''et al'' 2016</small> 
**Genus †''[[Grandemarinus]]'' <small>Cooper ''et al'' 2023</small>
**Genus †''[[Oniichthys]]'' <small>Cavin & Brito, 2001</small> 
** Genus ''[[Atractosteus]]'' <small>[[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1820</small>
*** †''[[Atractosteus atrox]]'' <small>([[Joseph Leidy|Leidy]], 1873)</small> (Green River atrox gar)
*** †''[[Atractosteus grandei]]'' <small>Brownstein & Lyson, 2022</small><ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last=Brownstein |first=Chase Doran |last2=Lyson |first2=Tyler R. |year=2022 |title=Giant gar from directly above the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary suggests healthy freshwater ecosystems existed within thousands of years of the asteroid impact |url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0118 |journal=Biology Letters |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=20220118 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2022.0118 |pmc=9198771 |pmid=35702983}}</ref>
*** †''[[Atractosteus messelensis]]'' <small>Grande, 2010</small>
*** †''[[Atractosteus simplex]]'' <small>(Leidy, 1873)</small> (simplex gar)
*** ''[[Atractosteus spatula]]'' <small>([[Bernard Germain de Lacépède|Lacépède]], 1803)</small> ([[alligator gar]])
*** ''[[Atractosteus tristoechus]]'' <small>([[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]] & [[Johann Gottlob Schneider|J. G. Schneider]], 1801)</small> ([[Cuban gar]])
*** ''[[Atractosteus tropicus]]'' <small>[[Theodore Gill|Gill]], 1863</small> ([[tropical gar]])
** Genus ''[[Lepisosteus]]'' <small>[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758</small>
*** †''[[Lepisosteus bemisi]]'' <small>Grande'','' 2010</small> (Green River longnose gar)
*** †''[[Lepisosteus indicus]]'' <small>([[Arthur Smith Woodward|Woodward]], 1890)</small> (Indian gar)
*** ''[[Lepisosteus oculatus]]'' <small>[[Alexander Winchell|Winchell]], 1864</small> ([[spotted gar]])
*** ''[[Lepisosteus osseus]]'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)</small> ([[longnose gar]])
*** ''[[Lepisosteus platostomus]]'' <small>[[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1820</small> ([[shortnose gar]])
*** ''[[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]]'' <small>[[James Ellsworth De Kay|DeKay]], 1842</small> ([[Florida gar]])

=== Alligator gar ===
{{Main|Alligator gar}}
[[File:Alligator_Gar_10.JPG|alt=|thumb|Alligator gar ''(Atractosteus spatula)'']]
The largest member of the gar family, the alligator gar ''([[Alligator gar|Atractosteus spatula]]''), can reach over {{Convert|8|ft|}} (although 10-foot individuals are possible, and likely exist) and weigh over {{Convert|300|lb|}}.<ref name=":05">{{Cite web|url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/alligator-gar/identify-gar.phtml|title=How to Identify Alligator Gar|website=tpwd.texas.gov|access-date=2019-07-20}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.us/summary/Atractosteus-spatula.html|title=Atractosteus spatula summary page|website=FishBase|language=en|access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> Its body and snout are wide and stocky, and it was named "alligator gar" because locals often mistook it for an [[alligator]].<ref name=":05"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/alligator-gar/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003162418/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/alligator-gar/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 3, 2018|title=Alligator Gars, Alligator Gar Pictures, Alligator Gar Facts|date=2009-12-15|website=National Geographic|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref> The species can be found in [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Louisiana]], the [[Mississippi River]], [[Ohio]], the [[Missouri River|Missouri river]], and the southern drainages into [[Mexico]].<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":1" /> Its habitat consists of lakes and bays with slow currents.<ref name=":8" /> The gars grow rapidly when young and continue to grow at a slower rate after reaching adulthood.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/alg/|title=Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula)|website=tpwd.texas.gov|access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> They are deep green or yellow in color.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":1" /> Recreational fishing of the alligator gar became popular due to its massive size and its meat is sold for food.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fws.gov/warmsprings/FishHatchery/species/alligatorgar.html|title=Alligator Gar|website=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service}}</ref> Over five decades of overfishing have brought it close to extinction,<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":10" /> and man-made dams have contributed to this loss by restricting the gar's access to the flood plain areas in which it spawns.<ref name=":12" /> Some U.S. states have enacted laws to combat overfishing, and reintroduction programs are being carried out in some states, such as [[Illinois]], where human activity has extirpated the gar.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":10" /> Before being released, each gar must meet a length requirement to ensure that it has the best chance of survival in the wild.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ifishillinois.org/programs/alligatorgar_news.html|title=Fishing in Illinois|website=www.ifishillinois.org|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref> Some states, such as Texas, restrict the number of gar that may be caught in a day, the season in which they may be caught, and the equipment anglers may use to catch them. Some states also impose a minimum length requirement to prevent gar from being caught at too early an age.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/alligator-gar/sustain.phtml|title=Who Fishes for Alligator Gar?|website=tpwd.texas.gov|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref> Scientists have found that the alligator gar can help maintain ecosystem balance by eating invasive species such as the Asian carp, and their success in a particular area can show scientists that area may also make a suitable habitat for other migratory species.<ref name=":15"/>

=== Florida gar ===
{{Main|Florida gar}}
[[Image:Kaimanfische (Lepisosteus).jpg|thumb|''Lepisosteus platyrhincus'']]
The Florida gar ''([[Florida gar|Lepisosteus platyrhincus]]'') can be found in the [[Ochlockonee River|Ocklockonee river]], [[Florida]], and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/lepisosteus-platyrhincus/|title=Lepisosteus platyrhincus|date=2017-05-10|website=Florida Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web|url=http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/freshwater/florida-gar/|title=Florida Gar|website=Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission|language=en|access-date=2019-08-03|archive-date=2019-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803173723/https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/freshwater/florida-gar/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and prefers muddy or sandy bottoms with bountiful vegetation.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":74">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.in/Summary/FamilySummary.php?Family=Lepisosteidae|title=FAMILY Details for Lepisosteidae - Gars|website=www.fishbase.in|access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> It is commonly confused with its cousin, the [[spotted gar]].<ref name=":2" /> Uneven black spots cover its head, body, and fins.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":13" /> Green-brown scales run along the back of its body, and the scales on its underbelly are white or yellow.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":14">{{Cite web|url=http://www.torontozoo.com/explorethezoo/AnimalDetails.asp?pg=468|title=Toronto Zoo {{!}} Florida gar|website=www.torontozoo.com|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref> This coloration, which blends well with the gar's surroundings, allows it to ambush its prey.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":14" /> The Florida gar has no [[Fish scale|ganoid scales]] on its throat.<ref name=":2" /> Female Florida gars grow to lengths between {{Convert|13 and 34|in|cm}}, bigger than their male counterparts.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":14" />

=== Spotted gar ===
{{Main|Spotted gar}}
[[File:Lepisosteus_oculatus_03.jpg|alt=|thumb|Spotted gar (''Lepisosteus oculatus'')]]
The spotted gar ''([[Spotted gar|Lepisosteus oculatus]])'' is a smaller species of gar,<ref name=":05"/> measuring just under four feet long and weighing 15 pounds on average.<ref name=":05"/> Like Florida gars, female spotted gars are typically larger than male spotted gars.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepisosteus_oculatus/|title=Lepisosteus oculatus (Spotted gar)|last=Givinsky|first=Lana Hall; Thomas Meade; Drew Paulette; Josh Albert; Stephanie|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref> This gar has dark spots covering its head, body, and fins.<ref name=":05"/> Its body is compact, and it has a shorter snout.<ref name=":05"/> It prefers to live in clearer shallow water with a depth of {{Convert|3-5|m||sp=us|sigfig=2}},<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|url=https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2016/08/08/conservation-of-ancient-fishes-reintroducing-the-alligator-gar-and-what-about-those-carp/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108032139/https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2016/08/08/conservation-of-ancient-fishes-reintroducing-the-alligator-gar-and-what-about-those-carp/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 8, 2018|title=Conservation of Ancient Fishes: Reintroducing the Alligator Gar; and What About Those Carp?|date=2016-08-08|website=National Geographic Society Newsroom|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref> and to surround itself in foliage.<ref name=":74"/><ref name=":3" /> Its habitat ranges from the waters of [[Lake Michigan]], the [[Lake Erie Basin]], the [[Mississippi River System]], and [[Drainage basin|river drainages]] along the northern coast of the [[Gulf of Mexico]] from the [[Nueces River]] in [[Texas]] east to the lower [[Apalachicola River]] in [[Florida]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":92">{{Cite web|url=https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=756|title=Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) - Species Profile|website=nas.er.usgs.gov|access-date=2019-07-26}}</ref> It shares its habitat with the [[alligator gar]], its main predator. These smaller gar live an average of 18 years.<ref name=":3" />

=== Shortnose gar ===
{{Main|Shortnose gar}}
[[File:Shortnose gar (8741579406).jpg|thumb|Shortnose gar (''Lepisosteus platostomus'')]]

The shortnose gar (''[[Shortnose gar|Lepisosteus platostomus]])'' is found in the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi River Basin]], [[Indiana]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Montana]], [[Alabama]], and [[Louisiana]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepisosteus_platostomus/|title=Lepisosteus platostomus (Shortnose gar)|last=Bradburn|first=Mark|website=Animal Diversity Web|language=en|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref> It prefers to live in lakes, swamps, and calm pools.<ref name=":74"/><ref name=":4" /> The shortnose gar takes its name from its snout, which is shorter and broader than that of other gar species.<ref name=":05"/><ref name=":4" /> Like the [[longnose gar]], it has one row of teeth. The upper jaw is longer than the rest of its head.<ref name=":4" /> The shortnose gar is deep green or brown in color, similar to the [[alligator gar]].<ref name=":05"/><ref name=":4" /> Depending on the clarity of water, spots can be present on the [[Fish fin|caudal]], [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]], and [[Fish fin|anal fins]].<ref name=":4" /> The shortnose gar has a lifespan of 20 years, reaches up to {{Convert|5|lb|}} in weight,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.us/summary/Lepisosteus-platostomus.html|title=Lepisosteus platostomus summary page|website=FishBase|language=en|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref> and grows to lengths of {{Convert|24-35|in|cm}}.<ref name=":92"/><ref name=":5" /> It consumes more [[invertebrate]]s than any other gar,<ref name=":4" /> and their stomachs have been found to contain higher [[Asian carp]] content than any other native North American fish.<ref name=":15"/>

=== Longnose gar ===
{{Main|Longnose gar}}
[[File:Longnose_gar_-_panoramio.jpg|alt=|thumb|Longnose gar ''(Lepisosteus osseus)'']]
The Longnose gar ''([[Longnose gar|Lepisosteus osseus]])'' has a longer, narrower, more cylindrical body,<ref name=":05"/><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/longnose_gar|title=Longnose Gar {{!}} Chesapeake Bay Program|website=www.chesapeakebay.net|language=en|access-date=2019-07-26|archive-date=2022-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323115647/https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/longnose_gar|url-status=dead}}</ref> and can be distinguished from other species of gar by its snout, which is more than twice the length of the rest of its head.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/lepisosteus-osseus/|title=Lepisosteus osseus|date=2017-05-10|website=Florida Museum|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref><ref name="dec.ny.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/85750.html|title=Gar - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation|website=www.dec.ny.gov|access-date=2019-08-03|archive-date=2019-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803173715/https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/85750.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It can reach up to 6 feet and 8 inches in length and weigh up to {{Convert|35-80|lb|}}.<ref name=":05" /><ref name=":6" /> Like the shortnose gar, it has only a single row of teeth.<ref name=":6" /><ref name="dec.ny.gov"/> Unlike its relatives, it enters brackish water from time to time.<ref name=":74"/><ref name=":6" /> Females are larger and live longer than the male longnose gar.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":6" /> Females live 22 years, and males about half as long.<ref name=":6" /> There are spots on the head, [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]], [[Fish fin|anal]], and [[Fish fin|caudal fins]].<ref name=":05" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":16">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aqua.org/Experience/Animal-Index/longnose-gar|title=National Aquarium {{!}} Longnose Gar|website=National Aquarium|language=en|access-date=2019-08-03|archive-date=2019-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803173715/https://www.aqua.org/Experience/Animal-Index/longnose-gar|url-status=dead}}</ref> Depending on the [[water clarity]], the longnose gar comes in two colors.<ref name=":6" /> In clear water, they are a dark deep green color. In muddy waters, it is more brown in color.<ref name=":6" /> Edges of the [[Fish scale|ganoid scales]] and in between are black.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":16" /> These types of gar are occasionally fished by locals, and blamed for eating other fish in the rivers.<ref name=":11" /><ref name=":6" /> The longnose gar has a large range of territory in [[North America]], into the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":16" /> Located in [[Florida]], [[Quebec]], all [[Great Lakes]] except [[Lake Superior]], [[Missouri]], [[Mississippi]], [[Texas]], and [[northern Mexico]].<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/longnose-gar|title=Longnose Gar|website=MDC Discover Nature|language=en|access-date=2019-08-03}}</ref>

==Roe==
The flesh of gar is edible, but its [[roe|eggs]] contain an [[ichthyotoxin]], a type of [[Protein toxicity|protein toxin]] which is highly toxic to humans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Ostrand|first1=Kenneth G.|last2=Thies|first2=Monte L.|last3=Hall|first3=Darrell D.|last4=Carpenter|first4=Mark|date=1996|title=Gar ichthyootoxin: Its effect on natural predators and the toxin's evolutionary function|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|volume=41|issue=4|pages=375–377|jstor=30055193}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gar|publisher=Environment.nationalgeographic.com|url=http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/gar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109142946/http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/gar/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2011|access-date=29 May 2011}}</ref> The protein can be denatured when brought to a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fuhrman|first1=Frederick A.|last2=Fuhrman|first2=Geraldine J.|last3=Dull|first3=David L.|last4=Mosher|first4=Harry S.|date=1969-05-01|title=Toxins from eggs of fishes and amphibia|journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|volume=17|issue=3|pages=417–424|doi=10.1021/jf60163a043|issn=0021-8561}}</ref> but as the roe's temperature does not typically reach that level when it is cooked, even cooked roe causes severe symptoms. It was once thought that the production of the toxin in gar roe was an evolutionary adaptation to provide protection for the eggs, but [[bluegill]]s and [[channel catfish]] fed gar eggs in experiments remained healthy, even though they are the natural predators of the gar eggs. [[Crayfish]] fed the roe were not immune to the toxin, and most died. The roe's toxicities to humans and crayfish may be coincidences, however, and not the result of explicit natural selection.<ref name=":0" />
[[Image:Gar jumping out of water to eat horsefly.jpg|thumb|right|A gar leaps out of the water.]]

==Significance to humans==
Several species are traded as aquarium fish.<ref name="Kodera" /> The hard ganoid scales of gars are sometimes used to make jewelry whereas the tough skin is used to make such items as lamp shades. Historically, Native Americans used gar scales as arrowheads, native Caribbeans used the skin for breastplates, and early American pioneers covered the blades of their plows with gar skin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Burton|first=Maurice|title=The international wildlife encyclopedia, Volume 9|year=2002|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-7266-7|page=929|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P0_AD0v7vl0C&pg=PA929|author2=Robert Burton|access-date=18 July 2010}}</ref> It is suspected that gars have an unusually strong DNA repair apparatus. If confirmed by further studies, it could be used in medical treatments against human diseases like cancer.<ref>[https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/ancient-fish-boast-slowest-molecular-evolution-among-jawed-vertebrates-384454 Ancient Fish Boast Slowest Molecular Evolution Among Jawed Vertebrates]</ref>

Not much is known about the precise function of the gar in Native American religion and culture other than the ritual "garfish dances" that have been performed by [[Muscogee (Creek)|Creek]] and [[Chickasaw]] tribes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spitzer|first=Mark|title=Season of the Gar: Adventures in Pursuit of America's Most Misunderstood Fish|year=2010|publisher=U of Arkansas P|isbn=978-1-55728-929-2|pages=118–19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yepqz2i3Iv4C&pg=PA119}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=34 ''Family Lepisosteidae'']

{{Actinopterygii}}
{{Taxonbar|from1=Q506144|from2=Q13605369}}

[[Category:Lepisosteidae]]
[[Category:Fish of Central America]]
[[Category:Fish of North America]]
[[Category:Extant Late Jurassic first appearances]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish]]