Allegator GarIn NewsThe Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) recently discovered a rare type of fish known as a “Alligator Gar” for the first time in
Srinagar’s Dal Lake.
About Allegator Gar is a ray-finned euryhaline fish and is
one of the largest of all freshwater fishes.
Scientific Name: Atractosteus spatula.
It is the
largest species in the Gar family.
The fossil record traces its group’s existence back to the Early
Cretaceous over 100 million years ago.
Gars are often referred to as “
primitive fishes”, or “living fossils” because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their early ancestors.
It is distinguished by its crocodile-like head and
razor-sharp teeth.
Colouration is generally brown or olive above and
lighter underneath.
Conservation StatusIUCN: Least Concerned
