Biologists Amazed by Unique Fish with Crooked Spine Caught in Florida Waters

Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute biologists recently captured an interesting specimen during an electrofishing survey in Silver Glen Springs, which is an idyllic spring in Ocala National Forest. The fish in question was a longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus), a species known for its elongated snout and prehistoric appearance, but this particular gar had a remarkable peculiarity - a severely crooked spine. In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute posted a photo of a biologist grinning while holding a unique fish.

(Photo credit: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/Facebook)Biologists Amazed by Unique Fish with Crooked Spine Caught in Florida Waters

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The report details that this wasn't the first instance of a fish with a spinal deformity captured by the institute. However, unlike a bull shark with a similar condition they encountered earlier, this longnose gar's crooked spine was likely the result of an injury sustained at some point in its life, rather than a congenital condition.

Despite its spinal curvature, the fish was a healthy size, measuring an impressive 2.7 feet in length and weighing over 10.6 pounds. The report emphasizes that longnose gar, while possessing an array of sharp teeth and a tough, armored exterior, are not a threat to humans. In fact, they play a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of Florida's freshwater ecosystems by functioning as apex predators. 

The Facebook post’s caption about the "Crooked Gar" reads, "We got another interesting one for ya. Our biologists captured this longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) while conducting an electrofishing survey in Silver Glen Springs. Unlike the bull shark with a spinal deformity that we shared a few weeks ago, this fish likely got its interesting shape from a spinal injury at some point in its life."

"Still, the fish was 2.7 feet long and weighed over 10.6lbs! With their razor-sharp teeth and armor-like scales, longnose gar may look scary, but they are no threat to humans, and they play an important role as an apex predator in many of Florida’s freshwater ecosystems," it adds.

What is the longnose gar?

According to Florida Museum of Natural History, these fish are "distinctive for their elongated, torpedo-shaped bodies and their overly long snouts which are nearly twice the length of their heads and filled with a row of sharp teeth." Their scales are notably thick and overlapping.

These fish can handle low oxygen and higher salinity water better than others because they have the handy ability to gulp air whenever they need to. The website says that these fish are "formidable ambush predators in the slow moving rivers, bayous and reservoirs of Eastern United States."

In Arkansas, these fish are often caught commercially, but in some areas, they're seen as a nuisance because they eat sportfish. The website added that the "longnose gar is an important apex predator in many ecosystems, and it is important in helping prevent other species from overpopulating habitats."