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Where do living gar species occur?
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holostean
Living and fossil forms of Holostei.
Living gar species are found exclusively in North America, Central America, and Cuba, ranging from southeastern Canada down to Panama. Within this geographic distribution, they are notably absent west of the Rocky Mountains.1
As members of the infraclass Holostei, these fishes primarily inhabit freshwater environments, such as slow-moving or stagnant bayous and estuaries. While they are essentially freshwater animals, some species may occasionally venture into brackish or salt water.21