Care
The Florida Garfish is known from the Savannah River catchment in Georgia, the Ocklockonee River drainage, Florida and Georgia; down into peninsular Florida. They are often found near the surface, basking close to fallen logs, trees, or brush, only becoming more active at night when hunting.
Garfish can live for 15 years or more and attain a significant size (length and weight), and as such are only suitable for the most substantial home aquarium installations and public aquaria; indeed, they must be housed in a tank of vast proportions with powerful, oversized filtration to match. Substrate choice is unimportant, with sand or gravel both acceptable, and sizeable pieces of driftwood and rocks/slate can be used to create sheltered areas, although most time is spent in the upper section of the aquarium where floating plants or wood would be more appreciated.
The Florida Garfish is a voracious eater that produces a lot of waste, and requires continuous excellent water conditions. To this end, filtration must be powerful and the water well-oxygenated. A frequent partial water change regime is absolutely essential as this fish will not tolerate an elevated nitrate level. Several huge canister filters can be employed, but sump filtration may be more prudent as then equipment such as heaters can be kept in the sump and out of the main tank where they would be very easily damaged. Lighting should be fairly dim, as these fish do not enjoy bright illumination. Garfish are accomplished ambush predators but are usually peaceful towards fishes too large to swallow whole. Care must be taken to ensure that tankmates are large enough to avoid becoming prey as young fish grow rapidly. They should also be peaceful enough not to bully the rather mellow gars. Ensure the tank has tight fitting coverslides that are weighted down, as these fish are expert jumpers.
Gars are members of the Lepisosteiformes, an ancient and primitive holosteian order of ray-finned fish. Fossils from this order of fish are known from the Late Jurassic onwards. The family Lepisosteidae includes 7 living species of fish in 2 genera: they have a modified, vascularised swim bladder that allows them to come to the surface periodically and take gulps of air from above the water's surface. To this end, a small gap must be left between the surface of the aquarium water and the cover slides in order for the fish to come up to the surface and take air in at regular intervals, so always run the tank with a slightly dropped waterline. To sum up: this fish is a huge commitment in terms of housing, equipment, maintenance, and longevity. Much consideration needs to be given prior to purchase to ensure its long-term needs can be met. Current legislation means that this is one of only two species of gar which can be legally imported into the UK, the other is the Cuban gar (Atractosteus tristoechus).
Feeding
Offer a varied selection of meaty foods such as earthworms, mealworms, prawns, cockles, mussels, crab, crayfish, lancefish, silversides, whitebait etc. to supplement a diet based on quality dry foods such as pellets and foodsticks.
Breeding
The Florida Garfish has not been bred in the home aquarium. In the wild, this species breeds during the spring when water temperatures warm up. Spawning takes place in relatively shallow water, with adhesive eggs scattered over the abundant vegetation. A mature female can lay up to 20,000 eggs, although 13,000 is a more typical brood size. There is no parental care.
