Kaimanfish (Lepisosteus)
El Lizard peje It is an exclusive fish, half fish and half lizard, due to its physiognomy. Today it can only be found in North and Central America, in Costa Rica, southern Quebec and between Montana. It is a prehistoric predator that thousands of years ago lived in Europe, South Asia, Africa and South America, fossils reveal this evidence, more than 100 million years ago.
Watching this fish is like take a look at the same species millions of years ago, due to the evidence that betrays it. It is a wild animal, with a large mouth and an armored body like that of a lizard. Let's see what other characteristics we can find of this great animal.
The Pejelagarto, a prehistoric predator from America
This large animal is amazingly fascinating to have in modern times. Its persistence is dated to nothing more than 215 million years It has an unusual appearance, with a fish head and a lizard body, reminiscent of large predators like the crocodile. It belongs to the Lepissteinae family, a group of fish that are grouped together in evolutionary history because they survived for more than 100 million years, during the Cretaceous period. This means they coexisted with the dinosaurs, which now makes them "living fossils."
Its survival for so many years is assessed by its ability to survive even in the most inhospitable waters. Its bladder is capable of filling itself by swallowing air, in order to provide oxygen to its gills when it is in places where oxygen is scarce. Its physiognomy stands out for that large elongated jaw full of sharp teeth, for its survival. And although it may seem unusual, if we look at the physical changes of many animals in their evolutionary age, the gar They have maintained practically the same physical characteristics from prehistory until now.
Characteristics of the Garfish
They are holostean fish, family Lepisosteidae, which lives in freshwater. It's found in rivers and lagoons in Veracruz, Belize, El Salvador, Campeche, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, among other areas. Its predatory behavior also influences other fish species that share its habitat.
Its body is elongated, tubular, with a large snout and a body covered with a skin full of thick scales, like armor. Its color is grayish-green, with white flanks covered in a mucilaginous substance. For more information on the aquatic habitats where they live, you can consult cold water fish in general.
Has a very elongated snout with large nostrils at the end of the snout, instead of located at the base in front of their eyes. Another of their physical characteristics is that They have vertebrae, a shape that makes it look like a reptile. It is probably one of the fish with this peculiarity, which also allows its front face to be convex and the back to be concave.
His mouth is composed of many sharp teeth, to feed on fish, birds and small crustaceans. Their body does not reach a metre in length, but specimens of up to 3 metres and more than 130 kilograms in weight have been found. They swim slowly, but are fast and erratic when catching their prey.
Reproduction of the Garfish
The Pejelagarto is found in sweet waters, although It can also be found in brackish waters and on coasts such as the Gulf of Mexico. When they reproduce, they mainly do so in fresh waters, between the months of April and early June.
They play an ecological role, as they play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. In some waters, alligator gar control populations of potentially invasive prey species that can lead to overpopulation, contributing to the overall health of the ecosystem. These fish also interact with other predators in their habitat.
Males can already reproduce in the first year of life, females do so and They spawn in the second year, but their great potential is developed in the third year. Their mating takes place in calm, shallow waters and where there is a lot of vegetation.
Females can spawn with the mating of several males. They attach their eggs to the surface of plants, stones or submerged logs. They are green in color and very sticky. A female can lay from 8.000 to 12.000 eggs per kilogram of weight.
The egg will become lecithotrophic larvae, able to remain stuck where they are attached with a adhesive located on its belly. They do not feed on plankton dispersed in the water, but rather on their yolk reserves until they become fry.
To stay alive from their predators They maintain a caudal fin which serves as protection, they also remain hidden among the vegetation to remain camouflaged. Soon they will grow and show their shape, with the characteristic jaw and the shape of their head.
Can Pejelagarto be consumed?
There are many species of alligator gar, no doubt, Many of them have been consumed for several centuries. Much research has been done to ensure that it can be bred in captivity and that this fish can be more readily available for consumption.
In the United States, fishing for it is a great challenge, since it is a highly prized animal for its high strength and hardness for fishing. Its meat is edible and becomes a delicacy for many, but for others it is very heavy due to its height. content in thorns. What can be said without a doubt is that eggs cannot be eaten because they are very toxic.
In 1989, the first tests were attempted to be carried out so that the alligator gar remained in captivity On rural farms, the idea was to produce it for commercial purposes. To learn more about its characteristics and habitat, you can access information about the region.
As a proposal, tests were carried out for their captivity, promoting cages in floating cages in the Tabasco State area. In their trials, they try to naturally allow the alligator gar to spawn, raise the larvae and bring them to the fry stage. By achieving this goal, this species can be fattened and even taken to repopulate local water areas.
It was not until 1997 that the first visible signs of growth of this animal were produced, with a controlled production. But there are still many trials to be done and several areas and even countries, where finally a large production of its species is achieved, reaching the production of up to 219.000 offspring.