Species: Lepisosteus platyrhincus, Florida gar
front eye to gill cover edge < 2/3 snout length
Lepisosteus platyrhincus DeKay, 1842
Florida gar
Elongate; a long conical snout that is relatively short and broad, < 75% head length, distance from front of eye to back of gill cover < 2/3 snout length; nostrils at front of snout; one row large teeth on each jaw (2 rows in young), smaller teeth on side of roof of mouth; gill rakers small and pear shaped, 14-33; fleshy isthmus of body separating gill openings under throat without small bony ossicles; pectoral low on flank; pelvics at about middle of belly; single dorsal fin and anal fin at rear just before tail; fins without spines, with large scales around their bases; vertebral column continues upwards in a fleshy ridge at base of tail fin; body covered with an armor of large, heavy, rhomboidal scales that are attached diagonally to each other by peg-and-socket; top edge of tail fin covered with bony scales.
Body darker grey above, lighter below; top of head with large oblong dark blotches; body heavily blotched; fins blotched.
Reaches 132 cm, 4.3 kg.
Depth 0-10 m.
Freshwater; but also enters brackish water.
S Carolina to Florida.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Non Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
-
- Near Bottom
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Mid Water
- Habitat
-
- Estuary
- Water column
- Freshwater
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Bony fishes
- Insects
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
-
- No pelagic larva
- Data
- Benthic
- Global Endemism
-
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- Continent only
- Extends North of GC
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 132
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 10
