Pejelagarto
Encyclopedia
Pejelagarto is the Spanish
name for the large freshwater gar
very common in the Mexican Southeast and particularly in the state of Tabasco
. They are notable for their primitive appearance, and the family to which they belong, the Lepisosteidae, appeared during the Cretaceous
and have survived to the present day relatively unmodified.
The pejelagarto has a pronounced snout that is similar to an alligator
's and has long and sharp teeth, which is how the fish gets its Spanish name, from a contraction of the words "pez" (fish) and "lagarto" (Aligator). Pejelagartos are large freshwater fish, commonly exceeding 1 m in length and weighing over 40 kg. They are most commonly found living in calm waters. See the main article on gar
s for more on these fish.
While gar are not widely eaten, there is a traditional Tabasco dish of the same name that uses chili, limes, and Salt to cook the animal.
Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, Class Actinopterygii
, Order Semionotiformes
, Family Lepisosteidae, Order Semionotiformes
.
The Lipisosteidae family consists of the following main genera and species:
Genus: Atractosteus
(broadhead gars)
Genus: Lepisosteus
(slender gars)
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name for the large freshwater gar
Gar
In American English the name gar is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.-Etymology:In...
very common in the Mexican Southeast and particularly in the state of Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
. They are notable for their primitive appearance, and the family to which they belong, the Lepisosteidae, appeared during the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
and have survived to the present day relatively unmodified.
The pejelagarto has a pronounced snout that is similar to an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
's and has long and sharp teeth, which is how the fish gets its Spanish name, from a contraction of the words "pez" (fish) and "lagarto" (Aligator). Pejelagartos are large freshwater fish, commonly exceeding 1 m in length and weighing over 40 kg. They are most commonly found living in calm waters. See the main article on gar
Gar
In American English the name gar is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters of eastern North America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands.-Etymology:In...
s for more on these fish.
While gar are not widely eaten, there is a traditional Tabasco dish of the same name that uses chili, limes, and Salt to cook the animal.
Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, Class Actinopterygii
Actinopterygii
The Actinopterygii or ray-finned fishes constitute a class or sub-class of the bony fishes.The ray-finned fishes are so called because they possess lepidotrichia or "fin rays", their fins being webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines , as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize...
, Order Semionotiformes
Semionotiformes
Semionotiformes is an order of primitive, ray-finned, primarily freshwater fish from the Triassic to the Cretaceous. The most well-known genus is Semionotus of Europe and North America....
, Family Lepisosteidae, Order Semionotiformes
Semionotiformes
Semionotiformes is an order of primitive, ray-finned, primarily freshwater fish from the Triassic to the Cretaceous. The most well-known genus is Semionotus of Europe and North America....
.
The Lipisosteidae family consists of the following main genera and species:
Genus: Atractosteus
Atractosteus
Atractosteus is a genus of gars in the family Lepisosteidae.There are three species:* Atractosteus spatula * Atractosteus tristoechus...
(broadhead gars)
- Atractosteus spatula (alligator gar)
- Atractosteus tristoechus (manjuari)
- Atractosteus tropicus
Genus: Lepisosteus
Lepisosteus
Lepisosteus is a genus of gars in the family Lepisosteidae.There are four species:* Lepisosteus oculatus Winchell, 1864 * Lepisosteus osseus...
(slender gars)
- Lepisosteus platostomus (shortnose gar)
- Lepisosteus oculatus (spotted gar)
- Lepisosteus osseus (longnose gar)
- Lepisosteus platyrhincus (Florida gar)
Pejelagarto in popular culture
- Peje (abbreviation) is the nickname of a Mexican politician Andrés Manuel López ObradorAndrés Manuel López ObradorAndrés Manuel López Obrador , also known as AMLO or El Peje, is a Mexican politician who held the position of Head of Government of the Federal District from 2000 to 2005, before resigning in July 2005 to contend the 2006 presidential election, representing the unsuccessful Coalition for the Good...
, as he comes from the state of Tabasco.