The Curious Case of the Crooked-Spined Longnose Gar Caught in Florida Waters

Introduction

While conducting an electrofishing survey in Silver Glen Springs, Florida biologists encountered a unique find- a fish with a crooked spine. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reported that the longnose gar, caught in Florida waters, had a highly unusual shape due to a spinal injury. Unlike the bull shark with a spinal deformity reported a few weeks back, this fish is interesting due to the spinal injury. Read on to learn more about this species and its spinal injury.

What is a Longnose Gar?

The Longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, is an ancient fish dating back to the Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago. This fish can grow up to 5 to 6 feet in length and weigh up to 40 lbs. They’re usually found in freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps, and marshes around North America and Canada. The long, slender, and cylindrical gar is known for its long snout or bill, which houses a line of needle-like teeth.

Spinal Injury in Longnose Gar

FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute recorded a longnose gar with an unusual shape due to a spinal injury. According to FWC, the fish” got its interesting shape from a spinal injury at some point in its life”. The crooked spine was prominent, and the gar measured 2.7 feet long and weighed over 10.6 lbs. Although the spinal injury might make it difficult for the fish to swim, it doesn’t present any threat to humans.

Is Longnose Gar Harmful to Humans?

The longnose gar has razor-sharp teeth and armor-like scales that protect it from predators. However, these fish aren’t a threat to humans. They don’t usually attack unless they’re provoked or cornered. Longnose gar are also known as “living fossils” because they’ve been around for over a hundred million years and have retained many of their ancient characteristics.

Conclusion

The discovery of the crooked-spined longnose gar has brought attention to the species, highlighting its unique characteristics, durability, and its ability to survive over millions of years. Despite having a spinal injury, the gar isn’t a threat to humans and is not facing any immediate threat to its species. Hopefully, this discovery will bring awareness to the importance of environmental conservation and the need to protect our planet’s resources.

Keywords:

Longnose gar, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, electrofishing survey, spinal injury, ancient fish, razor-sharp teeth, armor-like scales, environmental conservation.

Originally Post From https://www.aol.com/news/florida-biologists-catch-fish-unusual-124631215.html

Florida Biologists Catch Fish with Unusual Crooked Spine – AOL.com