Gar - Ecology

Ecology

Gars tend to be slow moving fish except when striking at their prey. They prefer the shallow and weedy areas of rivers, lakes, and bayous often congregating in small groups. They are voracious predators, catching their prey with their needle-like teeth, obtaining with a sideways strike of the head. Gars feed extensively on smaller fish and invertebrates such as crabs. Gars are found across all of North America (for example Lepisosteus osseus). Although gars are primarily found in freshwater habitats several species enter brackish waters and a few, most notably Atractosteus tristoechus, are sometimes found in the sea. Some gars travel from lakes and rivers through sewers to get to ponds.