A prehistoric fish that resembles an alligator in the head and snout. Some of these were caught in the wild, and some were released to the wild from commercial farms. "Ichthyologia Ohiensis (Part 8)". Gars are often referred to as "primitive fishes", or "living fossils" because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their early ancestors, such as a spiral valve intestine, which is also common to the digestive system of sharks, and the ability to breathe both air and water. On June 27, 2020, an alligator gar measuring 112cm (3ft 8in) was reported dead on the shore of Gonyeli Baraji reservoir, North Cyprus. The most northerly verified catch was in Meredosia, Illinois, in 1922. With that comes a bit less flexibility compared to fish with ctenoid or cycloid scales. Theyve also got armor-platedganoidscales made up of a material very similar to the enamel on our teeth. The most commonly used baits are chicken quarters and beef melt. Of the three species under discussion here, the longnose gar grows the largest and is the most piscivorous (fish-eating). Return all unused alligator tags to LDWF within 15 days following the close of the season. Title. The Florida gar also occurs through part of southern Georgia to the Savannah River drainage. The most-commonly eaten foods there were crawfish (48 percent), bream (22 percent), shad (9 percent), crappie (5 percent), bass (4 percent), bowfin or chopique (2 percent), and shiners (1 percent). Resource managers commonly recommending culling them, and throughout the 20th century the alligator gar numbers plummeted, with only Texas and Louisiana maintaining stable populations. Mandatory harvest reporting of alligator gar harvested is not required for Falcon. Another guy from Canada and I were like the northern gar guys down there. However, the record setting gar is ineligible for record books since it was captured with a bow. On September 4, 2009, a 3ft 3in (0.99m) alligator gar was found in Tak Wah Park in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Reporting information from tagged alligators is importantthis information allows biologists to follow the movement, growth, and survival of alligators and informs management for continued harvests. In some cases it. Submit this information on a form provided by LDWF. [39] Other incidents over the years have been random, ranging from captures in coastal waters during environmental assessments[40] to captures in private ponds. Gar For alligator gar, daily bag limit is 1 fish of any size. And we willed them to be caught. Alligator hunters who pay for their license online will still be required to pick up their license and tags in person at their tag-issuing LDWF office. A double row of teeth on the upper bill. Fossils from the order Lepisosteiformes have been collected in Europe from the Cretaceous to Oligocene periods, in Africa and India from the Cretaceous, and in North America from the Cretaceous to recent times. Humans: dont eat gar eggs. Gars spawn in relatively shallow water thats extremely warm. ), contact the LDWF staff responsible for that particular public land/lake. a possibility that alligator gar are either already in Indiana or will be found here in the future. He is an active writer, book author and outdoorsman. Alligator Gar are completely native to Louisiana and are extremely important to the ecosystem. It is, of course, a fish predator, but compared to longnose and spotted gar, a much larger percentage of its diet is made up of insects. It allows them to persist in environments where more conventionally respiring fish cant. Like alligator gar, longnose gar range into brackish coastal waters. If you capture a marked research alligator, record the tag number (usually 6 digits) as well as the length, tail notch(es), and sex of the alligator. [8] That is about to change. I went to New Orleans for a conference about gar. They lunge forward, and with a sweeping motion, grab their prey, impaling it on their double rows of sharp teeth. Once the water temperature has reached 68 to 82F (20 to 28C), and all the other criteria are met, gar move into the grassy, weed-laden shallows to spawn. ? I quickly got on a computer, changed my flight, and made sure I could be part of that. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! [12] The bladder not only provides buoyancy, but also enables them to breathe in air, which is why they are able to inhabit bodies of water in which most other fishes would die of suffocation. The world record Alligator Gar recently caught in Mississippi was aged to at least 95 years old." A male Alligator Gar's average lifespan is 25 years while females usually tend to outlast them and live up to 50 years. Coloration is generally brown or olive above and lighter underneath. As far as I know, its the largest even compared to fossil gars. Alligators/alligator skins may be stored at any location provided that they are properly tagged and documented. It is a violation of Alabama law for any person to transport more than one day's creel limit of any species of fish beyond the boundaries of this state. The shortnose gar is the smallest of Louisiana gar species and is the one that recreational fishermen are least likely to encounter. Bow and arrow use may be prohibited on public lands/lakes. I read everything I could about that group of fish the gars. Regulations and limits listed in the guidebook are enforced statewide. LDWF issues alligator harvest tags for private lands containing sufficient wetland habitat capable of sustaining an alligator harvest. It often reaches more than 5 feet in length, but because much of that is snout and the fact that the fish is more streamlined than other gars, it weighs less per foot than does its other large relative, the alligator gar. Special, area-specific regulations can be found here. In most other states within its zoogeographic range, alligator gar are considered vulnerable, with the exception of Louisiana, where it is considered secure. The short answer is: we dont know exactly what makes them poisonous. The new rules replaced the previous unrestricted, unlimited take of alligator gar with a one-fish-per-day limit. Hunters sometimes use clothespins to hold lines to facilitate easy line removal. Mature alligator gar commonly measure 6ft (1.8m) in length, and weigh over 100lb (45kg). The gator is the largest species of gar, and is the largest exclusively freshwater fish in North America. Their scales are not like the scales of other fishes; rather, they are ganoid scales, which are bone-like, rhomboidal-shaped scales, often with serrated edges, and covered by an enamel-like substance. Residents may hunt alligators on private lands they either own or have permission to hunt or on public lands/lakes with access granted via bidding or lottery. You mentioned they need floodplains to spawn. Gars are slow growing fish, with female alligator gars reaching sexual maturity around age 11 and living to age 50. No person shall release any alligator from any harvest device for any purpose without first dispatching the alligator, except in the event that an alligator is hooked and the hunter's quota has been reached. the northern limit of its native range, the alligator gar once lived in the Ohio, Mississippi, Cumberland and . You can try refreshing the page, and if you're still having problems, just try again later. Crawfish were most abundant in the winter, followed by summer and were least important in spring and fall. It was an alligator gar. Theyve also got armor-plated, These traits in combination have helped them be successful for such a long time. They said, Were going to be sampling alligator gar. And I was like, WHAT?! Hunters must use barbed arrows to capture alligators. Illustration by Duane Raver Range and Habitat Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) Alligators should be dispatched immediately upon checking lines. The females are larger than males. If this petition can be signed, acknowledged, and everyone can learn how important these fish are, we might be teaching others about these incredible fish in the future, instead of trying to save an endangered species, again. Tex., S.D. See here for more information on fishing licenses in Louisiana, bag . These public lands/lakes are managed by many different entities ranging from local parish governments to federal government agencies. In 1991, fishing guide Kirk Kirkland anecdotally reported catching an alligator gar measuring 9ft 6in (2.90m) on rod and line from the Trinity River. And it was at this small university in southeastern Louisiana. [21], Alligator gar inhabit a wide variety of aquatic habitats, but most are found in the Southern United States in reservoirs and lakes, in the backwaters of lowland rivers, and in the brackish waters of estuaries, bayous, and bays. And some gar species do something similarlongnose gar in some areas do leave the mainstem river and swim into the tributaries. In most cases thats just not true. [9] Williams donated it to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson, where it will remain on display. [21][25] Historically, the price of wild gar meat sold commercially to wholesale distributors has fluctuated between $1.00/lb[45] up to $2.50/lb. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Alligator Gar: See page 10 of the 2023 Fishing Guidebook. The all-tackle record was a 302lb (137kg) alligator gar caught on a trotline in 1953 by T.C. Gars may not be able to turn on a dime, but theyre much more flexible than we give them credit for they can manage a little S-curve or C-shape bend. Alligator gar are torpedo-shaped predators with toothy jaws and snouts that resemble those of alligators. . Our hope is that each generation has the opportunity to live with, live from, discover and enjoy the wildness of this awe-inspiring land and the people who love and depend on it. Can grow up to more than 300 pounds and 10 feet long. Based on stomach analysis of the alligator gar captured this summer for the research the fish are growing rapidly on a varied diet that includes bass, catfish, carp, freshwater drum and gizzard. Hunters should practice firearm safety at all times and pay close attention to ricochet hazards. Alligator Gar Limit and Permits. Alligator gar have all the major characteristics of a trophy gamefish. We honor, thank, and celebrate the whole community individuals, Tribes, States, our sister agencies, fish enthusiasts, scientists, and others who have elevated our understanding and love, as people and professionals, of all the fish. Unlike other gar, has a wide mouth and two rows of teeth lining their jaws. It is the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fish in North America. The scales are interlocking almost like chain mail. They are found throughout the lower Mississippi River Valley and Gulf Coast states of the Southern United States and Mexico as far south as Veracruz, and encompassing the following states in the US: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Florida, and Georgia. Tags do not float and will not be replaced if lost. Theres also this idea that gars eat game fish. Insects were more abundant in spring than fall and winter and were intermediate in the summer. Each zone remains open for 60 days from the opening date. If you think of prehistoric animals, of course dinosaurs come to mind, but gars have been around since the late Jurassic period. Synonyms of Atractosteus spatula include Lesisosteus [sic] ferox (Rafinesque 1820), and Lepisosteus spatula (Lacepede 1803). The most-common foods (by percentage of stomachs it was found in) for spotted gar were fish (74 percent), crawfish (26 percent), aquatic insects (11 percent) and terrestrial insects (9 percent). This year, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources The species now has its own cult following in the angling community, with more and more people wanting to catch and release an 8-foot-long, 300-pound dinosaur. For more information on alligator hunting zone boundaries, please click on the Alligator Zone Map button below or visit our Outdoor Explorer interactive mapand select the Alligator Hunting Zones layer located in the Go Hunting Layer List. A third conspirator went to trial on all three counts, was acquitted on one count, and found guilty on two. The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a ray-finned euryhaline fish related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei /holstia/. However, anecdotal reports suggest they can grow up to 10 ft (3 m) in length, and weigh as much as 350 lb (159 kg). For general information, email laalligatorprogram@wlf.la.gov. Rafinesque, C. S. (1820). Gizzard shad. Some along coastal areas can tolerate higher salt levels and are found around barrier islands and nearshore rigs. [32], Alligator gar is an invasive species in Mainland China, where it can be purchased as an exotic pet. For nearly a half century, alligator gar were considered "trash fish",[4] or a "nuisance species" detrimental to sport fisheries, and were targeted for elimination by state and federal authorities in the United States. Once the tag is placed through the tail, lock it using the tags locking device. Residents who do not have access to either private or public lands/lakes may harvest alligators for sport as a licensed Alligator Sport Hunter while accompanied by a guide (a licensed alligator hunter, or his or her helper, who possesses alligator harvest tags). Lottery applications are available mid-May of each year. Smallmouth buffalo works well when used as natural cut bait for alligator gar in states such as Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas. I was excited to meet a bunch of people who were studying gar, including agency folks from the U.S. Rare Plant and Animals Species, Natural Communities, and Natural Areas Registry, Aquatic Education Activity Books, Native Fish in the Classroom, WETshop, Recreational Fishing Licenses and Permits, For-Hire/Charter Fishing Licenses and Permits, WMA, Refuge, and Conservation Area Licenses and Permits, Controlling Aquatic Plants and Enhancing Freshwater Habitat, Report a Boat Crash, Collision, or Casualty, Commercial Fishing/Reptile and Amphibian Collecting, Buyer, Dealer, Retailer, Processor, and Transporter, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP), Mandatory Harvest Information Program (HIP), Waterfowl Hunter Frequently Asked Questions, Migratory Bird Preservation Facility Guidelines, Boundaries (Saltwater/Freshwater and State/Federal), Dealers, Retailers, Processors, and Transporters, Report Purchases/Sales of Catch (Trip Tickets), Age and Growth, Reproductive, and Genetic Studies, Apply for Assistance with Invasive Aquatic Vegetation on Lake Bistineau, Rental Boating Safety and Education Video, Report a Whooping Crane Sighting or Violation, Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Ranks and Statuses, Rare Species and Natural Community Tracking Lists by Parish, Request Wildlife Diversity Project Review or Digital Data, USFS and LDWF Longleaf Pine Flatwoods Savanna Restoration, Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit and Basic Skills Course, Outlaw Quadrupeds (Feral Hogs, Coyotes, and Armadillos), WMAs/USACOE/Refuge 2022-2024 Alligator Hunting Bid Application Notification, A completed alligator hunter license application form, Proof of property ownership (tax receipts or bill of sale) containing parish, township, range, section, and acreage, A map outlining the property to be hunted, The landowner's signature indicating permission for the hunter to harvest alligators on the property. Alligator gar may be extirpated from the Ohio River and Missouri River drainages. As weve dammed rivers and leveed in certain sections of flood plains, weve cut off gars from their spawning areas. Snout shape as well as coloration are also the key to identifying the other three garfish species. Early settlers tanned the skins to make a strong, durable leather to cover their wooden plows, and make purses and various other items. Tags are property specific and must be used on the property indicated on the hunters license. Cutaway the skin on either side of the fish from where you made the cut along the spine to reveal the meaty interior of the Alligator gar. Take the alligator out of the dry seasonings and set it aside. Few males live beyond 30 years, while females live to be twice that age. Theyve got poisonous eggs, right? Is that unique to gar and what about them makes them poisonous? The current longnose gar world record stands at an even 50 pounds, although larger ones have certainly been caught by commercial net fishermen. every Monday! The oldest recorded alligator gar was almost 95 years old. Males release clouds of milt to fertilize the eggs as they are released into the water column. They can weigh over 300 pounds. The department issues hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, as well as boat titles and registrations. Resident Alligator Sport Hunter Licenses cost $25. Now were trying to improve that reputation, showing they have value as food fish, bring balance to ecosystems, and even recently showing they have value for genomics work and potentially for biomedical research. According to wildlife officials, the fish was estimated to be between 50 and 70 years old; one report estimated the gar's age to be at least 95. There are only seven gar species alive today, but there were more earlier in the fossil record. Each zone remains open for 60 days from the opening date. All three species, but particularly the spotted gar, become more active and feed more heavily at night. The scales of alligator gar are not like the scales of other fishes, which have flexible elasmoid scales; their bodies are protected by inflexible and articulated ganoid scales that are rhomboidal-shaped, often with serrated edges, and composed of a tough inner layer of bone and hard outer layer of ganoin, which is essentially homologous to tooth enamel, making them nearly impenetrable. The last guy in the lineup, the spotted gar, is the one that recreational fishermen end up dealing with most often. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries PO Box 98000 2000 . Dr. Allyse Ferrarahadput together a symposium. In some areas, alligator gars will actually use inundated terrestrial vegetation to lay their eggs. In rivers and streams: black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted): six combined per day, only one of which may be a smallmouth bass. Alligators may be harvested between official sunrise and sunset only. Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Be careful not to lose or drop tags overboard. We were like, W, In addition to their size, one of the things that makes them successful is that theyre air breathers. The official record remains a 179 pound gar captured in 1997. Lost or stolen tags will not be replaced. The fossil record traces its group's existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago. In 1992, PBS affiliate KUHT channel 8 became the presenting station for a public-outreach program that documented the life history cycle of alligator gar titled The Alligator Gar: Predator or Prey?. Licenses required to harvest alligators in Louisiana depend on your residency status and your access to private and/or public lands/lakes. If you are interested in obtaining specific public land/lake alligator harvest information (selection methods, requirements, availability, etc. It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds. Incidentally, osseus means of bone in Latin, platostomus means broad-mouthed in Greek, and oculatus means eyed, a Latin reference to the round, dark, eye-like spots on tops of their heads. This couldnt be farther from the truth. It was the first documentary ever produced and televised nationally about alligator gar at a time when it was still being referred to as a trash fish. The alligator gar is the largest gar species alive today. Change.org Skip to main content Start a petition My petitions Browse Log in Uh oh. Theyre coming with the gar-mor as we like to call it. The body of an alligator gar is torpedo-shaped, usually brown or olive, fading to a lighter gray or yellow ventral surface. Alligator gar 36 inches and longer may only be kept if the angler or bowfisher has an Alligator Gar Tag. Daily limit: 50, except on the Mississippi River which has a daily and possession limit of 100 Pictures of the giant 7 foot 8 inch alligator gar caught by a fisherman using a bow and arrow have gone viral on Facebook. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. [51] In June 2011, three men from Florida and Louisiana were indicted on charges of illegally removing wild alligator gar from the Trinity River in Texas, and attempting to ship them to Japan for private collectors. You would think if your eggs are going to be toxic, why not have them be toxic to the animals youre sharing the environment with? Alligator Gar Limits . Its body color and snout shape are indeed different than the shortnose gars, but identification is so simple using the snouts spots or lack of them that using other features is unnecessary. In many cases theyre eating shad and other forage fish. Anecdotal evidence suggests that an alligator gar can grow up to 10ft (3.0m) in length. and around 10 ft (3m) in length. Not a lot of fish do that. What else is unusual is that bowfinthe closest relatives to garshave edible eggs (these two groups are still separated by a decent chunk of time between divergence). [8] The fossil record traces the existence of gars like the Alligator gar back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago. . In addition larger gar produce more offspring, thus leading . Man, I mean seeing an alligator gar for the first time in the wildthats definitely imprinted on my memory. Alligator gar are extremely long-lived, to nearly 100 years old in extreme cases. Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. The word lepisosteus is Greek and means scale-bone, which is what they have: scales of bone. Make sure you have made arrangements to sell alligators prior to setting lines or harvesting alligators. Additionally, 17 percent of the shortnose gar stomachs contained amphibians (frogs and salamanders). Spotted gar outfitted with radio transmitters in the Atchafalaya Basin, showed virtually no movement during the day, but actively patrolled their home range at night. Baited hooks and lines may be set no more than 24 hours prior to open season and shall be removed no later than sunset of the last day of the open season. Can you tell us more about the scales? Mon, Feb 27, 2023 . It is suspected that the fish had been released recently and could not cope with the environment and died, however, it could be that the fish was resident there for years. The fishing (hook and line) method is the most common and is the only method allowed on public areas. [28] Egg production is variable, and believed to be dependent on the size of the female. [], The most important thing to know about mullet is that they are a favorite food for speckled trout in the spring. Hot Topic: Landing Estimates, Management Background, Stock Assessments, etc. Be careful to not prematurely lock tags or catch tags on objects that may rip out or break tags. Certainly the easiest to identify is the longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus, often called the needle-nose gar by fishermen. Where are they found? Use a sharp fillet knife to cut through the scales and hide down the length of the spine to the tail. It was January 2009. The alligator gar is just one species of gar, a long-nosed, sharp-toothed, distinctively prehistoric fish. Often found in waters with low oxygen levels because they can gulp air and diffuse the oxygen through the tissues of their swim bladder. However, many people continue to kill Alligator Gar whenever caught because of the outdated beliefs stated before. They can weigh over 250 lbs and can survive up to two hours above water. When water levels rise in the spring, gars move out onto the floodplains. The other two species the shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) and the spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) are easier for fishermen to confuse with each other unless they know what to look for, which is snout color rather than snout shape. Will you do the same? [33], In November 2008, a broadhead gar, genus Atractosteus, measuring 5.2 to 6.4ft (1.6 to 2.0m) was caught in the Caspian Sea north of Esenguly, Turkmenistan, by two officials of Turkmenistan Fishery Protection.[34]. Over the next two days, at least 16 other alligator gar, the largest measuring 4.9ft (1.5m), were found in ponds in public parks in Hong Kong. Hunting hours for gators in Georgia are wide open, day or night, meaning you can hunt whenever it fits your schedule! It can be separated from the other three species by its broad, alligator-like (hence its name) snout. [25], The long-time public perception of alligator gar as trash fish or a nuisance species has changed, with increasing national and international attention on the species as a sport fish, which some have attributed to features on popular television shows. Alligator gar are passive, solitary fishes that live in large rivers, swamps, bayous, and lakes. Luckily, I circled back by the time I got into grad school and was able to study gars for my masters and dissertation research. The fish was taken to a nearby pond, where the owner confirmed it was an alligator gar rather than an arapaima, as the men had initially thought.[37]. Gar. Alligator hunters may use bow and arrow to capture alligators or dispatch alligators while on hook and line (see above). The feeding behavior of spotted gar is similar to that of the other two gar species discussed here, in that they are ambush predators and seldom actively chase down their prey. But we dont know if its bacterial-based or if the fish are producing it (this would be extremely rare). Approximately 30 feet of line is tied off to the bottom of the structure while the baited hook end is suspended about 1 to 2 inches above the water surface. LDWF must take action to rebuild the population to (or above) the minimum escapement level. LOUISIANA Alligator Gar Fishing in Southwest Louisiana 1,866 views May 3, 2021 58 Dislike Share Save RollinCajun Outdoors 1.63K subscribers Doing some alligator gar fishing in south. [24] Diet studies have also revealed fishing tackle and boat-engine parts in their stomachs. December 18 - January 31Extended Falconry:November 2 - January 31, Extended Falconry (all zones): November 3 - January 31. See contact information below. The average adult is 100 to 150 pounds and 4 to 6 feet. Alligator gar, the true giants of Texas inland waters, are the state's only freshwater nongame fish with a daily bag limit, one fish. SportsDay Staff websports@dallasnews.com @SportsDayDFW Studies indicate that. [36] Not unusually, the large, sharp teeth and outward appearance of alligator gar can precipitate unreasonable fear in those unfamiliar with the species. [7], Alligator gar are the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fishes found in North America. Alligator Gar", "World Record Alligator Gar Pulled From Mississippi Lake Tangled in Fisherman's Net", "How the enamel coating your teeth evolved from ancient fish scales", "Tooth Enamel May Have Evolved From Ancient Fish Scales", "Microstructural and geometric influences in the protective scales of Atractosteus spatula", "Genome Compositional Organization in Gars Shows More Similarities to Mammals than to Other Ray-Finned Fish", "Missouri Alligator Gar Management and Restoration Plan", "Once a nuisance, alligator gar increasingly protected", "Distribution of the Alligator Gar, Atractosteus spatula (Lacpde, 1803), in Illinois", "Once-hated fish now sought to combat Asian carp", "More 'monster fish' on the loose: fear grips China with sightings across nation", "Hazar dezini trkmen kenarynda amerikan sowutly ortany tutulmagyny ilkinji wakasy", "Monster Exotic Fish Found In Hong Kong Ponds", "Feared in public ponds, admired behind glass", "Friends Catch 1.5m 'Monster' Fish From Pasir Ris Canal After Long Struggle", "Exotic Alligator Gar fish rescued in Dadar", Kolkata: Discovery of predator fish that resembles an alligator concerns experts, "Studies on Socioeconomics of Coral Reef Resource Users in the Gulf of Mannar Coast, South India", "Big Fish Stories Can Have Happier Endings", "One man's 'trash' fish, another's living", "Gar biology and culture: status and prospects", "Development of More Sustainable Practices for the Culture of Gars and Other Air-Breathing Fish", "Indictments accuse 3 of taking alligator gar fish out of Trinity", "Monster fish tale: Alligator gar sting ends in conviction", "Accused alligator gar smugglers busted in trinity river operation", "United States v. Loren Willis et al., Nos. The short answer is: we dont know exactly what makes them poisonous. A later food-habits study done in the upper Barataria estuary showed that fish were more important in spotted gar diets in the fall than the spring, and were intermediate in winter and summer. Season Not Open. Texas and Louisiana have the best remaining alligator gar populations. Shrimp were more abundant in the summer than fall, and were intermediate in winter and spring. Unlike other gar species, the upper jaw of an alligator gar has a dual row of large, sharp teeth that are used to impale and hold prey. If you have questions about harvesting alligators on private lands (what is considered alligator habitat, if your property qualifies for alligator tags, etc. Any alligator parts or containers enclosing alligator parts must be tagged with the name, address, date, hide tag number, and the license number of the person donating the alligator part(s). Most well-known to fishermen, simply because of its impressive size and ferocious appearance is the alligator gar, a species that can produce fish weighing more than 200 pounds and one found in both fresh and brackish waters.