On July 12, a citizen captured a "water killer" alligator gar in Mingyue Lake. This is a ferocious fish native to North America. It is known as the "nightmare of freshwater fish" and is a typical invasive species. Experts remind citizens not to release exotic species such as alligator gar, snapping turtles, scavengers, and Brazilian turtles into the wild to avoid causing ecological disasters.
Citizens reported
Alligator gar were caught in Mingyue Lake
Citizen Mr. Wang is a fishing enthusiast. On July 12, when he was walking by Mingyue Lake, he found a large and narrow fish hunting along the water's edge. Judging from the size, it does not look like a common native fish species, especially the pointed and long mouth, which looks very much like the "water killer" crocodile gar that is occasionally caught by southern anglers.
"If it is really a crocodile gar, we must get rid of it, otherwise the fish in Mingyue Lake will suffer!" Mr. Wang immediately returned home to get a fish dart and hit it with one hit. When he pulled the big fish out of the water After arriving on the shore, they found that the fish was about 40 centimeters long and had a mouth full of fangs. It turned out to be the invasive crocodile gar.
"The teeth of the crocodile gar are very sharp and the fishing line will break when touched, so it is not easy to catch the crocodile gar, which requires skill and luck." Mr. Wang said that because the scales of the crocodile gar are large and hard, it is difficult to handle. The eggs and internal organs are poisonous, and the meat is rough and unpalatable. Therefore, when domestic fishermen catch alligator gar, they mostly kill them and bury them deeply to avoid causing ecological disasters.
The "crocodile gar" caught in Mingyue Lake
Industry analysis
It is suspected to be abandoned and is not easy to survive in Yangzhou
Mr. Wang shared the crocodile gar he caught on the Internet, which aroused heated discussions among netizens. So where did the crocodile gar in Mingyue Lake come from? Netizens analyzed that crocodile gar are very rare in Yangzhou and should have been released artificially. It may be that the pet fish is too big to continue feeding. This situation is very common among abandoned crocodile gar.
Mr. Liu, who sells pet fish at the Huaduhui Flower and Bird Market, said that he has sold alligator gar before. “The crocodile gar is not easy to get sick, has a ferocious temperament, and is very interactive in feeding. It is an ideal ornamental fish . "
Mr. Liu introduced that the crocodile gar can grow to 3 meters long and weigh 200 kilograms. In the south, breeders often throw pet fish into nearby water bodies because they are too big to keep and are reluctant to kill them. However, this situation is relatively rare in Yangzhou. "Alligator gar have relatively high temperature requirements, and generally require a breeding environment of 24°C-28°C. The temperature in Yangzhou is too low in winter. If it is not heated, alligator gar will definitely not be able to survive."
Experts remind
Alligator gar Turtles, etc. should not be released
Alligator gar are native to Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico coast of the Missouri River and Ohio River watersheds. Are there crocodile gars in wild water bodies in Yangzhou? The reporter consulted the municipal agriculture department.
Experts said that there are currently very few cases of crocodile gar found in Yangzhou, and most of them were released by citizens with no signs of natural reproduction. Alligator gar have high temperature requirements and will die if the temperature is below 9°C. The lowest temperature in Yangzhou in winter can reach about -10°C. In this environment, crocodile gar cannot survive.
But there are occasional exceptions. In January 2021, a fish pond owner in Ganquan found that the fish and shrimps in the fish pond had disappeared, so he cleared the pond to check the cause, and finally captured a crocodile gar about 1 meter long in the fish pond. , that is, it ate up all the fry and shrimps in the fish pond. There had been a snowfall in Yangzhou at that time, but this giant crocodile gar was not frozen to death.
"In the south, species such as snapping turtles, alligator gar, and scavengers have caused ecological problems. We have been monitoring the situation in Yangzhou, and so far it is relatively ideal. But as the climate warms, species that can survive in the south There is also the possibility of moving north. We hereby appeal to the public, in order to protect local fish and shrimp and other biological resources and the ecological environment, please do not release alligator gar, snapping turtles, scavengers, Brazilian turtles and other exotic species at will to avoid causing ecological disasters." Experts express. Reporter Liu Wang
[Source: Yangzhou Net_Yangzhou Focus]
Statement: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. If there is an error in the source or infringement of your legitimate rights and interests, you can contact us via email and we will handle it in a timely manner.Email address: [email protected]
Email address: [email protected]
