Gar

Gars are an ancient group of <a href="/facts/Ray-finned_fish/3PNaXXmJ">ray-finned fish</a> in the <a href="/facts/Family_(biology)/qTrn6E8E">family</a> Lepisosteidae. They comprise seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit <a href="/facts/Fresh_water/xMP2TxwI">fresh</a>, <a href="/facts/Brackish_water/f6z3UXCa">brackish</a>, and occasionally <a href="/facts/Marine_water/fRBJjbws">marine waters</a> of eastern <a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a>, <a href="/facts/Central_America/CXKgTuxC">Central America</a> and <a href="/facts/Cuba/vHjTXLPW">Cuba</a> in the <a href="/facts/Caribbean/zRI9aMCh">Caribbean</a>, though extinct members of the family were more widespread. They are the only surviving members of the <a href="/facts/Ginglymodi/0sr1Fme9">Ginglymodi</a>, a clade of fish which first appeared during the <a href="/facts/Triassic/r6CNxKXC">Triassic</a> period, over 240 million years ago, and are one of only two surviving groups of <a href="/facts/Holostei/aot3VGm4">holosteian</a> fish, alongside the <a href="/facts/Bowfin/QWtK6rkA">bowfins</a>, which have a similar distribution. 
Gars have elongated bodies that are heavily armored with <a href="/facts/Ganoid_scale/MS2brwuo">ganoid scales</a>, and fronted by similarly elongated <a href="/facts/Jaw/6a11Csjh">jaws</a> filled with long, sharp teeth. Gars are sometimes referred to as "garpike", but are not closely related to <a href="/facts/Pike_(fish)/VlyCCQVB">pike</a>, which are in the fish family <a href="/facts/Esocidae/pm91tuz9">Esocidae</a>. All of the gars are relatively large fish, but the <a href="/facts/Alligator_gar/AAvPwPYC">alligator gar</a> (Atractosteus spatula) is the largest; the alligator gar often grows to a length over 2 m (6.5 ft) and a weight over 45 kg (100 lb), and specimens of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) in length have been reported. Unusually, their vascularised <a href="/facts/Swim_bladder/bEGmPNp8">swim bladders</a> can function as lungs, and most gars surface periodically to take a gulp of air. Gar flesh is edible and the hard skin and scales of gars are used by humans, but gar eggs are highly toxic.

Gar open-in-new

Gar