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The longnose gar is the most common and widely distributed of all the gars. It is found throughout the eastern half of the U.S.A. through the Mississippi River system and other drainages in larger streams and brackish water coastal inlets. Its range extends at least as far south as Florida�s Lake Okeechobee, the Gulf states, and the Rio Grande between Texas and Mexico; and as far north as Minnesota, the Great Lakes, and Quebec, Canada. It extends west to the border between Minnesota and South Dakota, and probably as far as Montana in the north and Pecos River in New Mexico to the south. It is found both east and west of the Appalachians, with large concentrations along the Atlantic coast. The gar is generally distinguished from other gars by its longer, more slender body, and especially by its longer, narrower beak (18-20 times as long as it is wide at its narrowest point). The nostrils are located in a small, bulbous fleshy growth at the very tip of the upper jaw. The bony, diamond shaped ganiod scales of the gars overlap to form a protective armor on the body that has been known to deflect arrows. Although edible, it is not popular, and the eggs are poisonous, causing severe illness in humans and sometimes death in smaller animals and birds. Only fish seem to be able to consume them without harm.
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Scientific Name:
Lepisosteus osseus
Family Name:
Lepisosteide Family
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