Context: The Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) discovered a rare type of fish known as “Alligator Gar” for the first time during the ongoing cleaning of famous Dal Lake in Srinagar.

About Allegator Gar

• It is a  ray-finned euryhaline fish and is one of the largest of all freshwater fishes.

• Scientific Name: Atractosteus spatula

• It is the largest species in the Gar family.

• The fossil record traces its group's existence back to the Early Cretaceous over 100 million years ago.

• Gars are often referred to as "primitive fishes", or "living fossils" because they have retained some morphological characteristics of their early ancestors.

• Distribution: Central and North America

Features

• It is distinguished by its crocodile-like head and razor-sharp teeth.

• It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds.

• Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw.

• Colouration is generally brown or olive above and lighter underneath. 

• They can live for many decades. 

Conservation Status

• IUCN: Least Concerned

What are euryhaline organisms?

• They are a type of mostly marine organisms with the ability to adapt to a wide range of water salinities. 

• They can survive either in freshwater, saltwater or brackish water.

• Some euryhaline organisms migrate between freshwater and saltwater habitats during their life cycle. Some examples of such organisms are salmon, eels, etc.