Fisherman Catches Huge Prehistoric Alligator Gar in Texas

A fisherman caught a huge alligator gar in Texas, state wildlife officials have announced.

Angler John Harrington made the “gar-gantuan” catch while fishing on the Trinity River on July 18 with a rod and reel, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) said in a Facebook post Monday.

“The gar almost looks like it’s smiling,” the post said.

The achievement earned Harrington an “Outstanding Angler Award”—which the TPWD gives for a catch that does not meet the requirements of other award categories but still deserves recognition.

Harrington subsequently released the gar into the 710-mile-long Trinity River so that it could swim another day.

Alligator gars (Atractosteus spatula) are among the largest freshwater fish in North America. These fish can grow up to around 8 feet in length and weigh more than 300 pounds, according to the TPWD.

Their range extends from southwestern Ohio, southeastern Missouri, and Illinois, to parts of the Gulf Coast and small portions of northeastern Mexico.

They are the largest species in the gar family and are easily distinguished from their relatives by their long, slender cylindrical bodies, long snouts and diamond-shaped interlocking scales.

Alligator gars tend to have brown or olive coloration on the upper portions of the body and lighter hues underneath. Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. The animal’s name is a reference to its distinctive alligator-like snout and sharp teeth.

Alligator gars are often referred to as “living fossils” because the existence of these prehistoric fish can be traced back nearly 100 million years in the fossil record. They have retained several primitive characteristics from their early ancestors.

These fish have adapted to a range of habitats, including large reservoirs and coastal bays. But the alligator gar has disappeared from much of its historic range as a result of habitat destruction and indiscriminate culling.

While the population in Texas is still relatively strong, surveys indicate that the species is declining or has disappeared in many areas of the southeastern United States, according to the TPWD.

Alligator gar can live for many decades. In fact, the world-record alligator gar, caught in Mississippi in 2011, was probably around 95 years old at the time. That particular fish weighed in at 327 pounds.

Newsweek has contacted the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for comment via email.

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