Garfish

or Garpike, an American fish reminding one somewhat of a sturgeon. Both jaws are prolonged into a long snout, fifteen to twenty times its least width. The upper lobe of the tail is prolonged. There are three or four species. The common garpike, as it is called, is about three feet long. It is olivaceous in color, marked above with round black spots. It is found in the Great Lakes and large streams from New Jersey to Mexico. The short-nosed gar, three feet long, is found in the Mississippi River, and the alligator gar, six feet long, is found from Illinois to Cuba. The gar is covered with bony plates rivaling those of the alligator. The hide is thick. If dried it becomes as hard and as stiff as a tin can.