74 Me^noir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



black; contrast between dark spots and background coloration usually greater in spec- 

 imens living in clear water. Seemingly the intensity of pigmentation and the area of 

 body pigmented are somewhat correlated with the color of the water, i.e. how darkly 

 stained; streams and bayous that course through pinelands and cypress swamps have 

 light brown to nearly black water and their fish inhabitants tend to be darkened also, 

 even to the extent of a darkened ventral surface. 



The young are brightly colored as in L. osseus (p. 78), but a few differences in 

 color and pattern are apparent. Median dorsal stripe very broad and dark brown in 

 contrast to narrow reddish or cinnamon stripe in L. osseus. Dark lateral band nearly 

 straight on its upper margin, and narrow reddish-brown stripe above usually separated 

 from lateral band. Ventral surface usually a chocolate color as in L. osseus. Mid-dorsal 

 stripe and lateral band each breaking up into a single row of spots. Mid-dorsal spots 

 developing first and forming in a posterior-to-anterior direction. These spots begin 

 to form when the fish is between 100 and 150 mm length. The lateral spots appear 

 in the same sequence but do not start to form until the individuals have reached an 

 approximate length of 170 mm. 



Size. The 26 oculatus collected from the brackish waters of Lake Pontchartrain 

 from July 1953 to February 1955 were 297-690 mm TL. On March 25, 1959, 

 four oculatus were seined in one haul from a borrow pit in the Bonne Carre Spillway, 

 near Norco, Louisiana. The total length for the largest individual, a female, was 

 757 mm; for the three males, 522, 524, and 575 mm. This was probably a spawning 

 group, but no spawning activity was observed prior to capture. The female was greatly 

 distended at the time of capture because of the enlarged ovaries, but no ova were present 

 in the oviducts. 



Development. The scales develop in a posterior-to-anterior manner as described in 

 Development (p. (^G)., but the Spotted Gar develops scales and other structures at a small 

 size. Specimens 100 mm long have a fully developed lateral line as well as lateral body 

 scales forward to the region of the pelvic fins at the same time as the pectoral fin rays 

 are just starting to develop. Specimens of 1 30 mm have scales on the body except for the 

 anterior belly and breast, and the pectoral fins may have half to all of their rays formed. 

 The body scalation is complete in specimens 140— 150 mm. Plates begin to form on the 

 ventral surface of the isthmus in individuals of about 200 mm. The enlarged teeth in 

 the row on the palatines remain as prominent structures until about 200 mm, and some 

 retain them until they reach 300 mm; however, most individuals have only relatively 

 small teeth at that size. The caudal appendage may be atrophied in individuals as small 

 as 160 mm but may not be completely atrophied until a length of 225 mm. 



Habits. The feeding habits of this species are similar to those described for L. 

 osseus (p. 78). In the Lake Pontchartrain area, the diet of the Spotted Gar is composed 

 of fishes and Crustacea, the crustacean most often eaten being the blue crab, Callinectes 

 sapidus. 



Relation to Man. The Spotted Gar is usually considered an obnoxious fish. 



Range. Lepisosteus oculatus ranges from the Great Lakes south in the Mississippi 



