All fish / Lepisosteidae

Cuban Gar

Atractosteus tristoechus

Also known as cuban gar, manjuari, cuban alligator gar, キューバンガー, 古巴雀鳝

The Cuban gar is a long, armoured predator with a toothy, alligator-like snout and dark spots over an olive-brown body. It is one of the rarest gars and is kept mainly by public aquaria and dedicated monster-fish keepers for its prehistoric look.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

100 cm

Temperature

22 to 30 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

3000 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group of similar-sized gars

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, prawns, earthworms and large pellets

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Cuba (western Cuba and Isla de la Juventud)

Breeding

It scatters adhesive eggs over vegetation in shallow water during the rainy season, and Cuban fish farms breed it for conservation. Spawning in a home aquarium is practically impossible given the space needed.

Good to know

Adults can grow well over a metre and are only suited to very large tanks or indoor ponds, and they will eat any fish that fits in their mouth. The species is endangered and protected in Cuba, so legal stock is scarce; gar eggs are toxic if eaten.