Edit Lepisosteus oculatus
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Name
Scientific name
Lepisosteus oculatus
Described by
Authority Winchell, Year 1864
Family
Lepisosteidae
Common names
Spotted Gar
Photograph credits
All 1 credited
Summary
The spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus, ranges from Lakes Erie and Michigan south through the Mississippi basin to the Gulf of Mexico draina…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
1250mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Water movement Low: still or sluggish water
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 12–20°C, pH 6–8
Hardness
5–20dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
Solitary or specimen
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Mexico, United States, Apalachicola, Mississippi, Nueces
Writing
Etymology
Lepisosteus: from the Greek lepis, meaning 'scale', and osteon, meaning 'bone'. oculatus: from the Latin oculatus, meaning 'having eyes, eye-shaped', in refere…
Distribution
Known from Great Lakes Erie and Michigan with distribution extending south through the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf of Mexico drainages where it's said …
Habitat
Found in various habitat-types, from large lakes and rivers to sluggish tributaries, backwaters and pools though it tends to show a preference for larger, low-…
Aquarium size
Suitable only for very large public installations.
Maintenance
Relatively unfussy provided water flow is not too strong and lighting not bright.
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
Gars are ambush predators feeding on smaller fishes and aquatic crustaceans in nature. It can sometimes be tricky to get newly-introduced captive individuals t…
Behaviour and compatibility
Best kept alone, or with similarly-sized, non-aggressive fishes it cannot fit into its mouth.
Sexual dimorphism
Not written yet
Reproduction
Unrecorded in captivity. In nature spawning occurs between the months of May and July and eggs are simply scattered among aquatic vegetation with no parental c…
Notes
This species clearly shouldn't be considered a home aquarium subject at all given its eventual size and the fact it can live for several decades. We include it…
References
References
No references