Hujeta Gar, scientifically known as Ctenolucius hujeta, is a slim fish found in Venezuela and Colombia.
It’s also called Silver Gar, Rocket Gar, Freshwater Barracuda, and Agujeta in Spanish. This medium-sized fish is a fast but shy meat eater.
It mainly feeds on small fish. Hujeta Gars swim near the water’s surface in groups that get smaller as they grow older and split apart.
Hujeta Gar Interesting Facts
- Hujeta Gar, or Ctenolucius hujeta, is a medium-sized fish found in northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela.
- This fish prefers swimming near the water’s surface and thrives in tropical environments with temperatures between 72°F to 77°F (22°C to 25°C).
- Hujeta Gars have no dorsal or anal spines but possess 10 to 11 soft rays on their dorsal and anal fins, along with 42 to 46 vertebrae.
- They can lay between 1000 and 3000 eggs at a time during reproduction.
Hujeta Gar Habitat
Hujeta Gar is a freshwater fish found in South America.
It lives in the Río Magdalena and Río Sinú basins in northern Colombia, as well as rivers that flow into Lago de Maracaibo in northwest Venezuela.
This fish prefers to swim near the water’s surface (pelagic).
It can tolerate a hardness range of up to 22 dH and prefers water temperatures between 72°F to 77°F (22°C to 25°C).
Hujeta Gar thrives in tropical environments.
| Water Temperature: | 72°F to 77°F (22°C to 25°C) |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Hujeta Gar Physical Characteristics
Size: 10.2 inches (26.0 centimeters)
Hujeta Gar grows up to 10.2 inches (26.0 centimeters) in length and weighs about 119 grams (around 4 ounces).
This fish has no dorsal or anal spines, but it does have 10 to 11 soft rays on both its dorsal and anal fins. It has between 42 to 46 vertebrae.
You can differentiate Hujeta Gar from a similar fish called C. beani by looking at its body colors, the number of vertebrae, how slim its tail area is, how the bones around its eyes connect, and the number of scales along its side line.
Hujeta Gar Reproduction
Hujeta Gar is oviparous. This fish can lay around 1000 and 3000 eggs at a time.
Hujeta Gar Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Ctenoluciidae |
| Genus: | Ctenolucius |
| Scientific Name: | Ctenolucius hujeta |
| Also Known As: | Hujeta Gar, Silver Gar, Rocket Gar, Freshwater Barracuda, Agujeta |
| Conservation Status: | Unknown |