| Facebook to begin laying cable through fishing grounds off Nova Scotia | |
| By Natchez Democrat |
Source: magnoliastatelive |
2/7/2022 |
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Credit: United States Fish and Wildlife Services |
St. Catherine Creek Wildlife Refuge may be nothing like Jurassic Park but swimming amongst the cypress swamps, lakes and waterfowl at the national wildlife refuge are prehistoric fish whose ancestors swam when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
These fish are on average 100 to 150 pounds and four feet to six feet long. With a broad snout and two rows of sharp teeth, the Alligator Gar can grow as big as 300 pounds.
St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge serves as a home to Alligator Gar on a seasonal basis. United States Fish and Wildlife Services Fisheries Biologist Kayla Kimmel said St. Catherine Creek has a unique population of Alligator Gar through research. |
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“We don’t see the amount or size of fish like it in many other places,” Kimmel said. “They are consistently found there. They like it a lot of the time and will come back. We found the Mississippi River has a natural connection to the floodplain.”
Spawning a connection
The Mississippi River plays a role in St. Catherine Creek’s Alligator Gar spawn. When the river floods, the Alligator Gar swim into backwater covering the floodplains beneath the loess bluffs. These shallow waters serve as a place to lay eggs and are a nursery for the fry. |
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