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GarLab

@TheGarLab

Official account of #GarLab at the University of Minnesota. Fish, conservation, #SciComm. Authored by PI @SolomonRDavid and team.

 St Paul, MN
GarLab.net
Joined October 2019
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Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)Photo by GarLab (@TheGarLab)
Happy Gar Week everyone! You might be wondering, what is a gar? Well, let us show you... #GarWeek #Conservation #Fisheries #GarLab #Garology #FishSciComm #Scicomm @SolomonRDavid
What is a gar??? We’re excited to celebrate Gar Week 2025 with posts by our GarLab team members! Swipe through to learn more about all seven gar species, including our two Minnesota native gar species: the Shortnose Gar and Longnose Gar. Comment below with your favorite gar fun fact or gar pun!

ALT What is a gar??? We’re excited to celebrate Gar Week 2025 with posts by our GarLab team members! Swipe through to learn more about all seven gar species, including our two Minnesota native gar species: the Shortnose Gar and Longnose Gar. Comment below with your favorite gar fun fact or gar pun!

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GAR WEEK 2026 is coming!!! #GarWeek with @OKWildlifeDept @TheGarLab (and YOU) is November 16-20, 2026! Offishal Trailer here👇
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#GarWeek will indeed be November 16-20 this year!
Vicky Boyd (@AgWriterVLBoyd) profile pictureVicky Boyd@AgWriterVLBoydSep 30
Looks like #GarWeek is late this year. Dec. 16 is rumored to be the kick-off date. Is that true, @SolomonRDavid ?
Image from Vicky Boyd (@AgWriterVLBoyd)
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Native rough fish research enlists Minnesota anglers outdoornews.com/2026/06/25/n… St. Paul — Researchers are harnessing the help of Minnesota anglers to gather data on native rough fish populations while educating the public about these species. @TheGarLab
Image from Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid)
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Trash fish? More like some of the oldest — and most important — species in Minnesota @MNReformer minnesotareformer.com/2026/0…
Trash fish? More like some of the oldest — and most important — species in Minnesota. • Minnesota...

Trash fish? More like some of the oldest — and most important — species in Minnesota. • Minnesota...

Until recently, these species were all classified as “rough fish,” or “trash fish.” None of them had limits or protections, and due to an outdated, frontier mentality toward wildlife in the water,...

minnesotareformer.com
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Minnesota waters are full of ancient fish ― and the science behind them is pretty cool startribune.com/fishing-angl… @TheGarLab @StarTribune

Perry: Minnesota waters are full of ancient fish ― and the science behind them is pretty cool

Contributing columnist David M. Perry joined the U’s GarLab team on an electrofishing expedition June 15 to learn more about gar and other native rough fish species.

startribune.com
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On the importance of “native rough fish” in Minnesota and to aquatic ecosystems overall👍 mankatofreepress.com/sports/…
When rough is getting boundaries in fishing

When rough is getting boundaries in fishing

In this chapter of comprehensive aquatic ecosystem management, Minnesota DNR is moving toward establishing harvest limits for native rough fish.

mankatofreepress.com
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In Pursuit of Alligator Gar, the Ancient Giant of the Shallows New @gardenandgun: gardenandgun.com/feature/in-…

In Pursuit of Alligator Gar, the Ancient Giant of the Shallows

The prehistoric fish with a toothy grin is fueling floodplain restoration efforts on the Mississippi River

gardenandgun.com
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We back y'all! 👇🐟💙🧡🦅
Auburn University SFAAS (@AuburnFisheries) profile pictureAuburn University SFAAS@AuburnFisheriesFeb 9
What is SFAAS? Tucked inside Auburn University is one of the nation’s leading programs in fisheries science and aquaculture. The School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences.
Image from Auburn University SFAAS (@AuburnFisheries)
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And that’s a wrap on 2025 @TheGarLab! GARgantuan thanks to our students, collaborators, and friends for their ongoing work and support of our freshwater conservation efforts!
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BIGGEST Longnose Gar for @TheGarLab team! At 60.5 inches (154 cm), it’s a true giant for the species. Caught-tagged-released, it will help us learn more about river-floodplain connectivity👍 I’m aiming the fish toward our collaborators’ sonar, so we can track/measure it!
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Outlook in Minnesota with impending snowstorm 🥶
Image from Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid)
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Guess how big these two Alligator Gars were? Sorry not sorry 😅
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Friend and native fish angler extraordinaire @moxostoma made this and I needed to add it to the list! 😂👍
Image from Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid)
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“When Did You Get Caught?” Here’s @TheGarLab’s Spotify Wrapped list, let us know if there are any gartists that we missed 👀
Image from Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid)
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Agar: Science or Magic? Thoughts @OKWildlifeDept?
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Spotted Gars think they’re salmon swimming upstream😂 Most gars do in fact migrate to spawn, typically from rivers & lakes to adjacent floodplains. Some gars, however, swim upstream to spawn. Unlike salmon, gars don’t die after spawning, and often return annually. 🎥 D.McDonald
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Smile! The alligator gar is among the largest freshwater fish in North America. They may grow up to 10 feet and weigh more than 300lbs. These fish are found in the southeast in freshwater lakes and brackish marshes, estuaries and bays along the Gulf coast. 📸Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
A biologist holds a large alligator gar fish with its mouth open, exposing its large sharp teeth.

ALT A biologist holds a large alligator gar fish with its mouth open, exposing its large sharp teeth.

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“Why not both Steve?” Check out our episode @MeatEaterTV chatting gars and native fish conservation with host Steve Rinella! youtu.be/xLDSV5qbyzw?si=2tzh…
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Hey @OKWildlifeDept, we broke out the Fishmas decGARations over the weekend! 🐠🎄
Image from Dr. Solomon David (@SolomonRDavid)
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