Editing Gar (section)

{{Short description|Family of fishes}}
{{About|North American freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, not to be confused with marine [[garfish]] or [[needlefish]] of the family Belonidae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Kimmeridgian|recent|[[Late Jurassic]]-recent}}
| image = Lepisosteus oculatus.jpg
| image_caption = [[Spotted gar]]<br>(''Lepisosteus oculatus'')
| display_parents = 
| greatgrandparent_authority = 
| taxon = Lepisosteidae
| authority = [[Georges Cuvier|G. Cuvier]], 1825
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = * {{Extinct}}''[[Nhanulepisosteus]]''
* {{Extinct}}''[[Britosteus]]''
* {{Extinct}}''[[Masillosteus]]'' 
* {{Extinct}}''[[Cuneatus]]''
* '''Lepisosteini'''
** {{Extinct}}''[[Grandemarinus]]''
** {{Extinct}}''[[Herreraichthys]]''
**  {{Extinct}}''[[Oniichthys]]''
** ''[[Atractosteus]]''
** ''[[Lepisosteus]]''
}}

'''Gars''' are an ancient group of [[ray-finned fish]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] '''Lepisosteidae'''. They comprise seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit [[Fresh water|fresh]], [[Brackish water|brackish]], and occasionally [[marine water]]s of eastern [[North America]], [[Central America]] and [[Cuba]] in the [[Caribbean]],<ref name="filaman.ifm-geomar.de">{{cite web|url=http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=34|title=Family Lepisosteidae - Gars|access-date=2007-04-21}}</ref><ref>Sterba, G: Freshwater Fishes of the World, p. 609, Vista Books, 1962</ref> though extinct members of the family were more widespread. They are the only surviving members of the [[Ginglymodi]], a clade of fish which first appeared during the [[Triassic]] period, over 240&nbsp;million years ago, and are one of only two surviving groups of [[holostei]]an fish, alongside the [[bowfin]]s, which have a similar distribution.<ref name=":9" /> 

Gars have elongated bodies that are heavily armored with [[ganoid scale]]s,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Sherman|first1=Vincent R.|last2=Yaraghi|first2=Nicholas A.|last3=Kisailus|first3=David|last4=Meyers|first4=Marc A.|date=2016-12-01|title=Microstructural and geometric influences in the protective scales of Atractosteus spatula|journal=Journal of the Royal Society Interface|language=en|volume=13|issue=125|pages=20160595|doi=10.1098/rsif.2016.0595|issn=1742-5689|pmid=27974575|pmc=5221522}}</ref> and fronted by similarly elongated [[jaw]]s filled with long, sharp teeth. Gars are sometimes referred to as "garpike", but are not closely related to [[pike (fish)|pike]], which are in the fish family [[Esocidae]]. All of the gars are relatively large fish, but the [[alligator gar]] (''Atractosteus spatula'') is the largest; the alligator gar often grows to a length over {{cvt|6.5|ft|order=flip|0}} and a weight over {{cvt|100|lb|order=flip|round=5}},<ref name="FMNH">{{cite web | url= http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/atractosteus-spatula | title= Atractosteus spatula | publisher= Florida Museum of Natural History | access-date=2016-04-21}}</ref> and specimens of up to {{cvt|3|m}} in length have been reported.<ref name="fishbase.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1073|title=Atractosteus spatula - Alligator gar|access-date=2007-07-19}}</ref> Unusually, their vascularised [[swim bladder]]s can function as lungs,<ref name="FB" /> and most gars surface periodically to take a gulp of air. Gar flesh is edible and the hard skin and scales of gars are used by humans, but gar eggs are highly toxic.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2010/04/did-you-know-gar-eggs-make-you-sick/ | title=Did You Know That Gar Eggs Make You Sick? | date=22 April 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kait8.com/story/12355970/gar-eggs-are-toxic/ | title=Gar eggs are toxic | date=22 April 2010 }}</ref>