Livia Han

Institute of Life Sciences, Jiyang College of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Zhuji, 311800, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Super Species Research, 2023, Vol. 13, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/ijmeb.2023.13.0001
Received: 03 Apr., 2023    Accepted: 20 Apr., 2023    Published: 11 May, 2023

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Han L., 2023, Is the Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) a super aquatic species? International Journal of Super Species Research, 13(1): 1-5 (doi: 10.5376/ijssr.2023.13.0001)

In this study, the alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) was studied and analyzed from a biological perspective. Alligator gar is a giant freshwater carnivorous species of Atractosteus genus in the family of Lepisosteidae, which preys on almost all living creatures in the water. It first appeared in the early Cretaceous period, and is characterized by a short snout like an alligator and two rows of dagger like sharp teeth. The way alligator gar lays eggs and fertilizes, the incubation conditions and the maturity time make its reproduction ability and reproduction speed less amazing. Alligator gar is naturally distributed in North American watersheds, but it has been artificially released through the ornamental fish trade. There are also reports of alligator gar in unnatural distribution areas. Alligator gar has natural enemies in its natural distribution area, and its population can maintain at an appropriate level. However, it lacks natural enemies in its unnatural distribution area, which poses a potential threat to the local ecological balance and biodiversity. Based on the above analysis, this study discusses whether alligator gar is a super aquatic species dialectically, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the scientific management and control of alligator gar in the future.

Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula); Superspecies; Primitive fish