TN00198 LONGNOSE GAR LEPISOSTEUS OSSEUS
Trophic| References | |
| Carnivore | 2406 |
| Lifestage | Food Item Consumed | Part of Food Item |
| General | Malacostraca | Not Specified |
| General | Cirripeds | Not Specified |
| General | COPEPODS | Not Specified |
| General | Ostracods | Not Specified |
| General | Branchiopods | Adult stage |
| General | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| General | Homoptera | Not Specified |
| General | Odonata | Not Specified |
| General | Ephemeroptera | Not Specified |
| General | Diptera | Larva stage |
| General | Embioptera | Not Specified |
| General | Semionotiformes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Clupeiformes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Clupeiformes | Not Specified |
| General | Cypriniformes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Cypriniformes | Not Specified |
| General | Atheriniformes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Atheriniformes | Not Specified |
| General | Atheriniformes | Adult stage |
| General | Perciformes | Juvenile stage |
| General | Perciformes | Not Specified |
| General | Perciformes | Adult stage |
| General | Cypriniformes | Adult stage |
| General | Pleuronectiformes | Not Specified |
| General | Carrion | Not Applicable |
| General | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Important | Cirripeds | Not Specified |
| Important | Cirripeds | Not Specified |
| Important | Ostracods | Not Specified |
| Important | Branchiopods | Adult stage |
| Important | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| Important | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Important | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Larva | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Juvenile | Cirripeds | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | COPEPODS | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Ostracods | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Branchiopods | Adult stage |
| Juvenile | Crustaceans | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | Diptera | Larva stage |
| Juvenile | Embioptera | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Homoptera | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Odonata | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Ephemeroptera | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Insects | Larva stage |
| Juvenile | Insects | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Semionotiformes | Juvenile stage |
| Juvenile | Semionotiformes | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Clupeiformes | Juvenile stage |
| Juvenile | Clupeiformes | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Cypriniformes | Juvenile stage |
| Juvenile | Cypriniformes | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Atheriniformes | Juvenile stage |
| Juvenile | Atheriniformes | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Atheriniformes | Adult stage |
| Juvenile | Perciformes | Juvenile stage |
| Juvenile | Perciformes | Not Specified |
| Juvenile | Osteichthyes | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Juvenile | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
| Adult | Malacostraca | Not Specified |
| Adult | Crustaceans | Not Specified |
| Adult | Atheriniformes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Cypriniformes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Perciformes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Clupeiformes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Pleuronectiformes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Osteichthyes | Not Specified |
| Adult | Animals | Not Applicable |
| Adult | Carrion | Not Specified |
| Adult | See Comments on Food Habits | See Comments |
Comments on General Food Habits
Codes ending in 'V' for juvenile stage represent what many researchers termed 'young-of-year', when subsequent listings of that same code end in 'X', this signifies that other life stages are believed to be eaten but not specified *02*. Very young of species feed primarily on crustaceans *1250*. By the time they are 115 mm long through adulthood they are primarily piscivorous *1249*. Species, in general, are opportunistic and surface feeders *1249,1250*.
Comments on Adult Food Habits
Adults may feed on dead or living fishes *836*. Early research reports adults feeding largely on juveniles of prey species *1245*. In a Missouri study, 97% of diet was fish and 3% was burrowing mayfly larvae. Gizzard shad was the most common item in the diet. They also ate catfish and drum *5903*. In Michigan, the diet was 59.9% game or pan fish, 36.5% other fish, 2.4% fish remains, 1.2% crayfish and .1% insects. Fish eaten include bullheads, perch, sunfish, killfish, logperch, darters, and silversides. They also eat cray- fish *1347*. In Florida, the diet was 40% small fish and 59% centrarchids *1244*.
Comments on Juvenile Food Habits
Juveniles to 50 mm total length eat invertebrates *2406,1248*. They eat less crustacea and insecta as they mature, and by 115 mm length they are primarily piscivorous *1249,1251*. Possible competition between juvenile gar and juvenile largemouth and basses exists for prey of the Menidia genus (Oklahoma data) *1251*. Juveniles do not tend to eat sport fish *1249*. In a Missouri study, fish made up 98% of the volume with shiners the most common food. They also ate bluntnose minnows and darters. Algae was probably taken incidentally *5903*. In Oklahoma, young-of-year fish made up the major part of diet *1251*.
Comments on Larval Food Habits
They feed entirely off the embryonic yolk sac until they are 18-20 days old or 25-26 mm in total length *1250*.
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| General | 1248, 1249, 1250, 1251, 1253 |
| Adult | 1248, 1253, 1244 |
| Juvenile | 2406, 1248, 1249, 1251 |
| Larval | 1250 |
| Important | 1250 |