Finned Battleship
The alligator gar is one of North America’s largest freshwater fishes. It can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 300 pounds.
Gar-mor
Alligator gar are wrapped in armor-like scales that are so hard and sharp Native Americans used them for arrowheads.
Armed to the Teeth
An alligator gar’s top jaw is spiked with two rows of pointy teeth. When this toothy trap snaps shut, even a slippery fish can’t slip out.
Mouth Breather
Gar use gills to breathe water, but they also gulp air at the surface. This lets them live in swamps and sloughs that don’t hold enough oxygen for other fish to survive.
Also In This Issue
Ah-ten-hut! I am Sergeant Sand. You will address me as drill sergeant, not ma’am or miss. My mission is to train recruits to follow orders, respect superiors, and serve with honor. I demand excellence. Understood?
Missouri’s ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers are swimming with fishes! More than 200 different kinds lurk under the water’s surface, from the well-named least darter that’s not much longer than your thumb to the lake sturgeon that can grow as long as a sofa and weigh more than 200 pounds.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Designer – Marci Porter
Art Director – Ben Nickelson
Editor – Matt Seek
Subscriptions – Marcia Hale
Magazine Manager – Stephanie Thurber