Fish of the Day 23 - I got that gar in me

Today's fish of the day is the alligator gar! (it is also the first freshwater fish i've covered on this blog... if you don't count the sockeye salmon.) Look at that cute face!

Gar facts:

- The alligator gar is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world (or at least north america?). It may seem small in that photo, but these creatures can grow up to 10 feet!

- Despite being freshwater fish, they are extremely versatile and can adapt to saltwater if necessary.

- Their scientific name is "Atractosteus Spatula", which sounds funny but there's a reason behind it. In latin, spatula means "spoon", which refers to the shape of their snout.

- The alligator gar, along with other gar species, lived alongside the dinosaurs! These prehistoric fish were found to exist 157 million years ago, which would've been in the jurassic period.

- The eggs of a gar (gar roe?) are highly toxic to humans, along with a small portion of the flesh where the eggs would be stored. This is caused by high levels of ichthyotoxin, which is a poison that many fish possess (like the boxfish, which i may cover in the future!) However, the rest of their flesh is safe for consumption. 

- The alligator gar may have very sharp teeth and scales, and it's size can be daunting, but it's truly a docile fish. There are, as of now, zero documented attacks or deaths caused by this gentle creature :)

Do you got that gar in you? my friend does, i think!