Silver gar, rocket gar, slant-nosed gar, and freshwater barracuda
At the Aquarium
Amazon Basin
Appearance
Huejeta gars are streamline, arrow-like silver fish. They have a sharply pointed, tooth-filled snout with fleshy flaps hanging from their lower jaw like jowls. They reach up to 10 inches when fully grown.
Habitat
Rivers, streams, floodplains, lakes, and wetlands
Diet
Huejeta gars are obligate carnivores, feeding mostly on smaller fishes and insects.
Life History
They spend most of their time hunting by floating motionless near the surface, hiding in foliage in order to stalk prey. Fish are struck at lightning-quick, and insects will get jumped at from within the water.
Huejeta gars are spawners, with fry swimming within 2 – 3 days after hatching. They are territorial with those fish they don’t see as prey or predator.
This animal is not found on the Oregon Coast. It can be found at the Oregon Coast Aquarium as part of our temporary exhibit Amazon Basin: Adventure for the Senses.
We use cookies to improve your experience and see how our guests are navigating the website. If this is alright by you, hit 'Accept All', or 'Settings' to customize and learn more.
Read our cookie policy