Lepisosteidae

alligator gar

Atractosteus spatula

Elongated Lepisosteid Fish from Mexican Waters

• Tropical
• Coastal
• Northern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• North America
• Elongated
• Large
• Tropical fish

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a euryhaline ray-finned fish in the clade Ginglymodi of the infraclass Holostei , being most closely related to the bowfins. It is the largest species in the gar family (Lepisosteidae), and is among the largest freshwater fishes in North America. The fossil record traces its group's existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago.