What do longnose gar eat?

Longnose gar eat a variety of different fish species, depending on where they live. As babies, about 10 days after hatching, they begin feeding on crustaceans and insects. Soon after, they switch to a diet primarily made up of fish.

Some of the most popular fish in the longnose gar diet include sunfishes from the Centrarchidae family and shiners from the Cyprinidae family. Gizzard shad and bullhead catfish make up much of the diet of longnose gar living in Florida, while longnose gar living in coastal waters eat menhaden. Longnose gar are ambush predators that feed both day and night, but they tend to be most active at night.