Longnose gar

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iLongnose Gar

Scientific classification

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

Binomial name

Lepisosteus osseus
Linnaeus, 1758

The longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, is a species of gar, a type of primitive ray-finned fish. It is also known as the needlenose gar. Their skin is sometimes used as jewlery.

1 Identification
2 Adult size
3 Food
4 Biology
5 Distribution
6 Fishing
7 References

[edit] Identification

Snout is very long and a narrow beak containing many large teeth. Body long and cylindrical, covered with diamond-shape scales.

[edit] Adult size

Usually ranges between 30 and 100 cm (24 to 40 inches) and weighs 0.5 to 3.5 kg (1 to 7 pounds); FishBase reports a maximum size of 2 m.

[edit] Food

They usually eat minnows and gizzard shad although they will also eat nightcrawlers and other common baits.

[edit] Biology

Found usually in backwaters, low inflow pools and clear streams. Longnose gar spawn during early April, in shallow riffle areas. Females are larger than the males. They are usually accompanied by one or many males. Nests are never prepared. Each female deposits a portion of her poisonous eggs (or roe) in several different areas. Hatching takes six to eight days.

[edit] Distribution

Longnose gar are found in rivers and lakes throughout the eastern half of the United States, as far north as southern Quebec, and as far south as northern Mexico. The most concentrated numbers of longnose gar are found throughout the Deep South, Texas, and anywhere along the Mississippi River.

[edit] Fishing

Longnose gar may be captured by entangling the teeth in nylon threads, bowfishing, or by spear fishing.

Longnose gar will also take live baits, but hooking them is problematic. A small circle-style hook should be used, allowing the gar several minutes with it. The circle hook will prevent any serious injury to the gar, as it is designed to catch only in the corner of the mouth. They can be nocturnal feeders in some waters, so anglers should be prepared to angle for them in the twilight.