Re: NANFA-- Gars

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Sat, 8 Jun 2002 10:03:06 -0500

I am pretty sure if you check the urinogenital opening you can tell them
apart. The hole closest to the anal fins is where urine and eggs/milt come
out, the foward hole is the anus. If these are nearly the same size then it
is a male, if the urinogenital hole is larger than the anus then it is a
female. This seems to work with most fish. I have not cleaned enough gars
to know for sure, but pike are easily sexed this way. This atleast was the
way the DNR would sex them when the got roe for hatchery stock from fyke
netted musky and northern pike. It also works for larger sunfish species as
well.
Actions can be decieving with gar. I have kept several species together in
my pond the "Gar River" ( sounds like an amusement ride at Bubbaland, ha
ha). When gar are spawning several males will chase a female into a
spawning area to spawn. I have seen the different species in my pond doing
this chasing, but doubt they were even thinking of spawning, since nothing
happened further than that. It could be they are just all good friends and
act this way socially?

Ray
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