All fish / Lepisosteidae

Spotted Gar

Lepisosteus oculatus

Also known as spotted gar, gar, spotted garfish, garpike, ปลาการ์จุด, スポッテッドガー, 斑点雀鳝, 眼斑雀鳝

A long, cylindrical predator with a slender toothed snout and an olive to brown body covered in dark spots, including on the head and fins. It is one of the smaller gars and is kept for its prehistoric look and calm, hovering behaviour near the surface. It can gulp air, so it copes with warm, still water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

70 cm

Temperature

12 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Singly or in a small group with fish too large to swallow

Diet

Carnivore: fish, prawns, earthworms, mussel and carnivore pellets

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

USA and Canada: Lake Erie and Mississippi basins to Gulf of Mexico drainages

Breeding

Spawns in spring over vegetation in shallow water, scattering adhesive eggs that are toxic if eaten. Captive breeding in home aquaria is very rare and mostly done in ponds or by fisheries.

Good to know

Grows to around 70 cm or more and will eat any fish it can fit in its mouth, so it needs a very large, covered tank. Gars are banned or restricted in some places, including several Asian countries and Australia, so check local laws.