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The alligator gar is a living legend. Over 100 million years, this “primitive fish” has evolved into an insatiable ambush predator. It is the largest member of the gar family and one of the largest freshwater fish in North America. These bony sea monsters, belonging to the Holostei class of ray-finned fish, are ideal survivors. They are able to live in an environment where most fish will quickly suffocate and die. While they may seem terrifying, they serve an important ecological function, making them worthy of protection and admiration.
For years, fishermen considered the alligator gar to be a “trash fish”. Fishermen slaughtered them en masse to protect the populations of commercial fish. However, over the past few decades, this perception has gradually changed to the point that fishermen now view the alligator gar as their main trophy. From time to time, fishermen will come across monstrous alligators, in comparison with which their usually large relatives seem tiny. Sometimes they came across by accident, others ended up at the end of a hook or arrow of a trophy hunter.
Let’s dive into the story of the biggest alligator and how these incredible fish survived for over 100 million years.
Alligator Gar: Built to Survive
The alligator guard is usually about 6 feet long and weighs around 100 pounds. However, they grow extremely slowly and take years to reach puberty. As a result, their lifespan is exceptionally long, on average about 50 years. In addition, the older the fish, the more likely it is to grow to an unnatural size. Their long lifespan means that older individuals can be significantly larger than their younger counterparts.
The torpedo-shaped alligator’s olive green body is very similar to the American alligator, with which it has the same name. Their long and wide muzzles look the same as those of alligators and are no less dangerous. They have two rows of teeth along their upper jaw, which allows them to effectively prevent their prey from escaping from their paws. Serrated ganoid scales of hard dentin cover their bodies from head to tail, making them almost inaccessible.
As a euryhaline fish, the alligator can live in a wide variety of habitats, from freshwater lakes to brackish swamps to estuaries off the coast. In addition, although they have gills, they have also developed a vascular swim bladder lung. This unusual adaptation allows them to breathe in and out of the water. The Alligator is an armored tank with teeth designed not only to survive but thrive in whatever environment it considers its home.
Alligator Gar: Masters of Ambush Tactics
At first glance, the alligator guard doesn’t look like an adaptable killing machine. They spend most of their time swimming just below the surface of the water and rarely move urgently. In fact, their slowness is just a facade that hides their brutal power. Gar alligators are opportunistic hunters and are more than willing to wait until they get too close, ignoring their prey. As soon as their victim is at the distance of defeat, she will rush forward, grab and not let go.
Although they are mostly fish-eating animals, the alligator eats almost anything it can catch. This includes turtles, small mammals, crabs, and waterfowl. In addition, since they are not picky about their food, they do not hesitate to collect food. They hunt at night, and it is because of their nocturnal habits that it is difficult to get an accurate idea of how big they can grow in the wild. Fortunately, there are some records of giant alligators that give an estimate of how big they can get if they are not tested.
Alligator Gar: record catches
The alligator gar is found in the southern United States. They can be found in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In addition, their range extends south into Mexico, up to Veracruz. Of these regions, Texas and Mississippi are considered some of the best places to find a giant alligator. Several record fish have sprung up in state waters, and each deserves a mention as we figure out which one is the largest.
The largest alligator ever caught with a rod and reel was brought in by WWII veteran Guillermo “Bill” Valverde from Mission, Texas. On January 1, 1951, Bill traveled with his father, Trinidad, and friend the Reverend Josue Gonzalez to a local fishing spot on the Rio Grande River. While all three aimed to catch the catfish, they instead caught four large gars in a row. Each of these early examples weighed about 100 pounds. They then caught a huge guard measuring 7 feet 9 inches high and weighing 289 pounds. To this day, it remains the largest freshwater fish and alligator caught on a line in Texas.
Meanwhile, the biggest alligator record from a bow was even larger than Bill’s reel rod specimen. In 2001, angler Marty McClellan shot an 8-foot-long, 290-pound alligator. He shot a gar on the Trinity River in Texas, which has been the source of many exceptionally large fish over the years. For example, fishing guide Kirk Kirkland claims that back in 1991 he caught a 9ft 6in alligator from the Trinity River with a fishing rod and rod. ever recorded.
Alligator Gar: World Record Catch
The largest alligator ever caught weighed 327 pounds and was caught in 2001.
However, he was caught not in Texas, but in Mississippi, and it happened quite by accident. On February 14, 2001, Vicksburg commercial angler Kenny Williams prepared to take stock of the day. It was Valentine’s Day, and he had just finished bringing in his buffalo catch. As he pulled his last net out of the waters of Shotar Lake, his net caught on something. Thinking the net had simply caught on a log, Williams pulled out the net, but to his surprise, there was a massive alligator in the net.
The fish was barely alive at the time, but Williams was still struggling to drag the giant creature into his 16-foot aluminum boat. It took him almost 30 minutes to get the fish aboard, which officially confirmed his claim that he was the largest alligator ever caught. The huge fish measured 8 feet 5 inches long and weighed 327 pounds with a girth of about 47 inches. Experts estimate the barn to be between 50 and 70 years old, but one report suggests the creature could be up to 95 years old.
To date, no alligator has managed to break Williams’ record. However, this does not mean that there is no giant fish lurking in the shadows, just waiting to be noticed by some fearless naturalist or successful angler.
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