A fish “black as pitch, with armored scales and a mouth full of teeth” was caught by scientists on the Choctawhatchee River.
Rarely seen living fossil fish caught on the Choctawhatchee River. (Photo: FWC)
In a Facebook post on June 22, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported that a creature resembling something out of a Jurassic Park movie was discovered by scientists while exploring the Choctawhatchee River in western Florida, approximately 160 km from Tallahassee.
The unusual appearance of the creature prompted the expedition team to stop and attempt to capture it for examination. They concluded that it was a longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) exhibiting a “melanistic” condition. In other words, this is a known fish species that displayed an unusual coloration.
According to Daily Star, longnose gars typically “have an olive-brown color with brown spots all over their bodies,” but the specimen found in the Choctawhatchee River displayed a rare black coloration.
Melanism causes the gar fish to have an unusual black color. (Photo: FWC)
FWC explained that melanism – characterized by an excess accumulation of melanin – caused the fish’s skin and scales to darken. This syndrome is relatively rare in animals and is not frequently observed. After examination, the longnose gar was released back into its natural habitat.
The longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus) is often referred to as a “living fossil” because it has existed on Earth for about 100 million years. Today, they primarily inhabit rivers and coastal areas of eastern North America and Central America. This primitive fish typically grows to lengths of 0.7 to 1.2 meters, but some specimens can reach up to 1.8 meters.
