Only one short-nosed gar was taken in 1957, at the lower station on the
Neosho River. In 1958 this species was taken at the lower station on the
Marais des Cygnes and in 1958 and 1959 at the lower and middle stations
on the Neosho. More common in the Neosho than the Marais des Cygnes, _L.
platostomus_ occurs mainly in large streams and never was taken in the
upper portions of either river. Although short-nosed gar were about
equally abundant at the middle and lower stations on the Neosho, the
average size was greater at the lower station (Table 6). This kind of
segregation by size is shared with long-nosed gar, and was considered in
the discussion of that species. Short-nosed gar were taken only in quiet
water. Both species were collected most efficiently by means of gill
nets and shocker. While shocking, I saw many gar only momentarily, as
they appeared at the surface, and specific identification was
impossible. The total of all gar seen while shocking indicated that gar
increased in abundance from 1957 to 1959 (see Tables 5 and 6). Judging
from the gar that were identified, the increase was more pronounced in
short-nosed gar than in long-nosed gar.
At the lower Neosho station in 1959, two ripe females and one spent
female were taken in gill nets (16, 23 and 17 June, respectively) and
were moving downstream when caught. No males were taken in the nets.
Subsequently, by means of the shocker (26 June-8 July), two spent and
two ripe males were captured in quiet water of the mainstream that
closely resembled areas in which the gill nets were set. No females were
taken by means of the shocker.
TABLE 6. NUMBERS AND SIZES OF SHORT-NOSED GAR CAPTURED BY SHOCKER AND
GILL NETS AT THE MIDDLE AND LOWER NEOSHO STATIONS IN 1958 AND 1959.
Average total
Location Date Number length (inches) Range
Middle Neosho 1958 6 14.9 13.9-15.5
Middle Neosho 1959 9 13.6 11.0-16.0
Lower Neosho 1958 3 21.0 20.3-21.6
Lower Neosho 1959 5 21.3 18.0-24.5
#Dorosoma cepedianum# (LeSueur)