Hey guys , will be doing some gar fishing soon and would like to be able to identify the difference between shortnose and alligator gar. I did some research on the texas parks and wildlife site and the only thing that was a significant difference was the second row of teeth. it said the alligator have two big rows of teeth. I looked at the gar skull that my buddy caught and it had one row and a really tiny row of teeth. the fish was probably only 2 feet. Can yall help me figure out the difference in the two. Pics would really help. thanks.

Gator gar have a broader snout than short nose, and anything over ten pounds is going to be a gator gar anyway.

+1

Alligator gar also have two rows of teeth.

I've got some skulls in my office (of three of the four, my shortnose is still in ETOH). I'll try to post some pics later.

Where are you going to be fishing? Shortnose are are only found along the Red River and it's drainages in Texas, so unless you're fishing the red, that should eliminate shortnose.

More than likely you'll probably be catching spotted gar. They can be distinguished from alligator in that their snout isn't as broad (usually a little longer), and only one MAIN row of teeth.

Longnose would be the 3rd species, and probably the most obvious to distinguish: very long thin snout with one row of MAIN teeth.

you'll know when you catch. big differance. two years ago I was swimming in a water hole with kids, I was standing in belly high water, my sons friend spooked a needle nose and it shot up out of the water straight into my eyeball. happened so fast, didn't have time to blink. it knocked me out cold. Luckily had life jacket on. about 10 seconds, I came to and could not see out of either eye, another 10-20 seconds vision came back and solid red on right eye. went to eye doctor and there were two cuts near pupil, doc said 1/8" either deeper or more center and I woulda lost that eye. had a black eye, scratches across nose and face for weeks along with eye patch. sounds like a jeff foxworthy joke huh? how'd I know it was gar? it is a overflow to my conservation lake, we drained it with a pump and there were over 100 needles noses and a softshell turtle. the gar had ate everything in there.

Proper name is Longnose Gar, not "Needle"

felt like needles....