Allegator Gar : A Rare Type Of Fish
The Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) recently discovered a rare type of fish known as a “Alligator Gar” for the first time in Srinagar’s Dal Lake.
- Allegator Gar is a ray-finned euryhaline fish and is one of the largest of all freshwater fishes.
- Scientific Name: Atractosteus spatula
- It is the largest species in the Gar family.
- The fossil record traces its group’s existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago.
- Gars are often referred to as “primitive fishes”, or “living fossils” because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their early ancestors
- It is distinguished by its crocodile-like head and razor-sharp teeth.
- It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds.
- Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw.
- Colouration is generally brown or olive above and lighter underneath.
- They can live for many decades.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN: Least Concerned
