Longnose Gar - Ecology

Ecology

The most common prey of the longnose gar is clupeids (herrings and shads) as well as cyprinids and fundulids; they usually feed at night. Their main competitors are other gar of their own species as well as other types of gar. Larger gars have been known to feed on smaller gar, as well. Longnose gar were a main source of food for Native Americans and early colonists. The first settlers at Jamestown, Virginia dined on this fish through their harsh early years. Today, gar is more of sport fish due to their rank taste. Over fishing is a large issue for this fish especially when the fish have not reached sexual maturity due to the female not peaking sexual maturity until about six years of age.