large fish, but the alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is the largest. The largest alligator gar ever caught and officially recorded was long, weighed , and was around the girth. Even the smaller species, such as Lepisosteus oculatus, are large, commonly reaching lengths of over , and sometimes much longer. Ecology Gars tend to be slow-moving fish except when striking at their prey. They prefer the shallow and weedy areas of rivers, lakes, and bayous, often congregating in small groups. They are voracious predators, catching their prey in their needle-like teeth with a sideways strike of the head. They feed extensively on smaller fish and invertebrates such as crabs. Gars are found across much of the eastern portion of North America. Although gars are found primarily in freshwater habitats, several species enter brackish waters and a few, most notably Atractosteus tristoechus, are sometimes found in the sea. Some gars travel from lakes and rivers through sewers to get to ponds. Species and identification The gar family contains seven extant species, in two genera: Family Lepisosteidae Genus Atractosteus Rafinesque, 1820 †Atractosteus africanus (Arambourg & Joleaud, 1943) †Atractosteus grandei (Brownstein, Lyson, 2022) Atractosteus spatula (Lacépède, 1803) (alligator gar) Atractosteus tristoechus (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801) (Cuban gar) Atractosteus tropicus Gill, 1863 (tropical gar) Genus Lepisosteus Linnaeus, 1758 †Lepisosteus bemisi Grande, 2010 †Lepisosteus cominatoi Santos, 1984 †Lepisosteus fimbriatus (Wood 1846) †Lepisosteus indicus (Woodward, 1908) Lepisosteus oculatus Winchell, 1864 (spotted gar) †Lepisosteus opertus Estes, 1964 Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus, 1758) (longnose gar) Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque, 1820 (shortnose gar) Lepisosteus platyrhincus DeKay, 1842 (Florida gar) Alligator gar The largest member of the gar family, the alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula), can measure up to 10 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds. Its body and snout are wide and stocky, and it was named "alligator gar" because locals often mistook it for an alligator. The species can be found in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, the Mississippi River, Ohio, the Missouri river, and the southern drainages into Mexico. Its habitat consists of lakes and bays with slow currents. The gars grow rapidly when young and continue to grow at a slower rate after reaching adulthood. They are deep green or yellow in color. Recreational fishing of the alligator gar became popular due to its massive size and its meat is sold for food. Over five decades of overfishing have brought it close to extinction, and man-made dams have contributed