Gar could be a 'Rosetta Stone' for gene research — and Louisiana can supply them Halle Parker The dart-shaped, toothy gar, commonly found throughout the slow-moving bayous of Louisiana's coast, has often been overlooked, disrespected and understudied. Despite their edibility, recreational fishers have long considered them "trash fish." And they have erroneously viewed some species like alligator gar — which can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh 300 pounds — as a threat to other popular sportfish, leading to them to be killed intentionally. But researchers at Nicholls State University have been in love with the prehistoric fish for years, studying different types of gar to learn more about the value each one adds to the ecosystem as an apex predator.