By Cheryl Conley, Lake Creek Nature Preserve Board of Directors
Everything’s bigger and better in Texas. Hats, hair, the Texas sky, our longhorn cattle, and even our Texas pride. It takes something very special to impress Texans but even a true Texan might have to do a double-take when they see an alligator gar fish.
This pre-historic-looking fish is big, scary-looking, and a living fossil. They have been traced back over 100 million years. They are among the largest freshwater fish in North America growing up to 10 feet long and weighing 300 pounds.
Alligator gars have a bony snout and rows of razor-sharp teeth. Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. Their scales are called ganoid scales and are unlike the scales of other fish. They are bone-like, rhomboidal-shaped with serrated edges and are covered in an enamel-like substance. They are nearly impenetrable. It’s been said that its scales can deflect a .22-caliber bullet.
Alligator gars are ambush predators meaning they wait patiently for their prey and then launch a sudden attack that incapacitates the prey. They eat waterfowl, other birds, turtles, and small mammals that might be in the water.
Alligator gars can tolerate salt water and can be found in large rivers, reservoirs, and coastal bays. In East Texas, they’re found in Cypress Creek, the Sabine, Neches, Angelina, and Trinity Rivers, and in mainstem reservoirs including Caddo, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, and Livingston. Along the coast, they can be found in nearly every river system draining into the Gulf of Mexico and in every coastal bay system in Texas including Galveston, Corpus Christi, Matagorda, San Antonio, and Laguna Madre — and within the intercoastal canal system.
The alligator gar has become a popular sport fish in Texas. The season is in the spring and summer. With the exception of the Falcon International Reservoir, the statewide daily bag limit is 1. Gars must be less than 48 inches to be retained and you must report your catch within 24 hours using the My Texas Hunt Harvest mobile app.
Alligator gars stand as a testament to the resilience of ancient species. With its impressive size, unique adaptations, and vital role in aquatic ecosystems, this remarkable fish deserves our admiration and protection. As we continue to explore and understand the complexities of our natural world, let us advocate for the conservation of the alligator gar, ensuring that future generations can appreciate its uniqueness and ecological significance.