The spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) is a primitive freshwater fish of the family Lepisosteidae, native

to North America from the Lake Erie and southern Lake Michigan drainages south through the Mississippi River basin to Gulf Slope drainages, from lower Apalachicola River in Florida to Nueces River in Texas, USA. It has a profusion of dark spots on the body, head and fins. Spotted gar are long and have a elongated mouth with many teeth used to eat other fish. They grow to 20-30 inches in length and weigh 4-6 pounds on average making it the smallest gar out of the four species of gar. The name Lepisosteus is Greek for bony scale. Habitat for spotted gar is clear pools of shallow water and they are found in creeks, rivers and lakes.