Carnivorous alligator gar, the latest threat for Srinagar’s idyllic Dal Lake?

Source: The post is based on the article “Carnivorous alligator gar, the latest threat for Srinagar’s idyllic Dal Lake?” published in Down To Earth on 21st June 2023

What is the News?

The discovery of an Alligator Gar fish (Atractosteus spatula), an invasive species in Kashmir’s Dal Lake has raised concerns about its impact on the native fish species.

What is Alligator Gar?

The alligator gar is a close relative of the bowfin species. 

It is a ray-finned euryhaline fish and is one of the biggest freshwater fish in North America and the largest species in the ‘gar’ family.

They grow very fast and can reach over 50 centimeters in their first year if they’re in suitable conditions. 

They are harmless to humans but will eat any prey item that they can swallow whole (they do not have the ability to bite off pieces of flesh, so they must swallow prey whole).

IUCN Status: Least Concern

What are the concerns regarding the discovery of Alligator Gar fish in Dal Lake?

Being a carnivorous fish, the Alligator Gar poses a threat to the native fish species of Dal Lake. 

Its predatory nature and feeding habits can harm other smaller fish populations.Concerns arise about the fate of the lake’s biodiversity and the impact on the local fish fauna.

– Note: The Biological Diversity Act 2002 prohibits the presence of invasive fish species that could harm natural fish populations.