📸 PhotoPhoto: Greg Hume · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Alligator gar
Atractosteus spatula (Alligator gar · アリゲーターガー)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its body length of 2.6 m is taller than a doorway, which is about 2 m (Comparison). Its maximum weight of 137 kg is similar to the weight of two adults, at about 140 kg (Comparison).
- 💡 It is displayed in public aquariums, sold fresh in local markets, and also targeted as a game fish (FishBase).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
Site-computed relative index from recorded values; not a formal scientific metric.
📖 1. Overview
The Alligator gar is the largest of the gars and lives in large rivers of southern North America.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
It has a massive body with a broad, short snout; its back is dark olive-brown and its belly is white to yellow. There are dark brown blotches on its fins.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It eats blue crabs, turtles, waterfowl, and even small mammals. It can breathe air and has been recorded living up to 95 years.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2019) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/191024/1966892
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — JJT8
- • iucnredlist.org — 1966892
- • wikidata.org — Q522735
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Alligator Gar 10.JPG
- • fishbase.se — Atractosteus-spatula.html
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Lily Hughes · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.