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Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseus

longnose gar
longnose gar
© ODNR

Description: The gar can be identified by its long, pointed snout with small, needlelike teeth. Gars can sometimes be seen floating, motionless in streams. The longnose gar has an asymmetrical tail and scales with hard, bon-like plates. Females may live 20 years or more and reach a length of four and a half feet. (See enlarged picture below.)

Food: As adults, they are primarily fish eaters and move swiftly to catch small fishes.

Habitat: Gars live in pools and backwaters of medium to large streams for most of the year. They move into riffles of small streams to spawn, making considerable commotion jumping and splashing. After spawning, the gars move downstream to larger waters.