I've been working as a freshwater fisheries biologist for almost 40 years and this is the ONLY gar fish like this I've ever heard of. Has anybody here seen anything like this?

This fish was caught in the Lower Brazos near Holiday Lakes. It is currently in the person's who caught it fish tank. I haven't inspected it in person yet, but I think it is either a young alligator gar or spotted gar. The colors have remained the same since the fish was caught a few weeks ago so I suspect they are not the result of exposure, stress or other physical cause. This fish is this color from genetics or a mutation. Very unusual. So anybody ever see something like this?

Looks like a spotted gar to me, and gorgeous one at that! I've seen pics of albino gar, pure orange gar, but never a black/orange gar like that. Very cool looking. I have no idea what causes it...but it's pretty cool looking when these genetic recipies happen. Search on "orange gar" on google to see a few more.

Never seen one like that! Pretty cool.

Some sort of genetic mutation I am sure. Very rare I am also sure.

WOW. That is an amazing catch.

Hybrid Koi / Gar. Maybe his mom mated with a Goldfish instead of eating it. LOL.

I did the search and saw several similar fish. I've seen bass and green sunfish colored orange or gold, but this is the only gar I heard of until I did the search.

I'm trying to acquire the thing for my collection.

I caught a solid black longnose when I was a kid but that is insane... awesome fish

Super cool...thanks for sharing!

It is the occurrence of excessive yellow pigment known as xanthochromatism. If I caught one of those, I would put it in an aquarium too.
http://www.garfishing.com/goldgar.html

Cool looking

Yup, I would love to have that in my tank.

It's probably a Florida Gar, or a Spotted Gar.The Florida and Spotted Gar look alot alike. If I remember correctly Florida Gar have a shorter broader snout & stockier body when compared with a Spotted Gar. They also lack the bony scales on the throat that are present on the Spotted Gar. Collectors & ornamental fish breeders in Asia, Russia, and Europe pay good money for live high quality color varients of Alligator Gar, as well as other types of Gar. They're extremely popular with large aquarium and koi pond owners over in those countries.The Europeans and especially the Asians selectively spawn them to develop enhanced colors in their offspring. A process ornamental fish breeders have been using for generations to engineer all the different color varieties of Koi Carp & Goldfish. There is whole science behind it with closely guarded secrets. Apparently Gar are quite intelligent and can become quite tame.

Fun with My Alligator Gar


The guy in the video below is a rare fish collecter here in the United States. Several years ago he offered members in a bowfishing forum $1300 for a live Golden Gar and $300 for a Black Onyx Gar.

1700 gallon Aquarium Vivarium AquaScaping Before and After


I've seen a few pictures of bowfisherman on the internet posing proudly with really rare Black Onyx Gar, Gold Xanthic Gar, and all White Leucistic Gar they have killed while bowfishing. If they only knew those fish were worth alot more alive than dead. Ha! Lol! Just something everyone might want to keep in mind if they ever catch one.

Rare Morphs Platinum Alligator Gar (Atractosteus Spatula) Fish Facility:

Alligator Fish - Silver & black color

Shhhh....don't tell noone. I'm still tryin' to buy the thing.

I grew up in Japan and spent roughly half of my four decades of fish production breeding koi. I don't do that bit no mo', but high end koi collectors that been in it awhile know who I am. I went to Japan in '92 and brought back $half million in koi breeding stock and spent a lot of time with Japanese breeders living in my home in Texas months at a time. I produced and shipped koi all over the world, but THAT is another story.

So, if'n I can get this animal and learn how to propagate it, and find me another strange colored one or two, there could be a market for such? I mean the market for koi is all but dead, but THIS could be the next big thing....

I got a big hatchery, still a certified cargo specialist, haven't found a fish yet if I wanted, to, I couldn't spawn and raise (been doin' peacock bass for the last two years, semi-successfully)....Hmmmm....

I got me a pet gator gar, too, but mine's 7 feet long and kinda scary, if that thing was white or orange, or??? ....I could see where it would be worth a LOT!

Thanks GoldenEye, for the info, verrrry interesting.