Len Abbott, age 9, of Bessemer, Ala., for his question:

WHERE CAN YOU FIND GAR FISH?

Gar is the name of a fierce and greedy fresh water fish of eastern North America. You can find gars in lakes and large rivers as well as streams along the Atlantic Coast from Canada to Florida, and from Florida to Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico. Gars also live in the waters of the Mississippi Valley, in. the Greak Lakes and in Cuba and Nicaragua.

Gars have long, slender bodies. Their scales are as hard as flint. The fish have beaks armed with large teeth that are very sharp.

Some of the gars are very large. The heavy set alligator gar is the largest. In fact, this is the largest fresh water fish in North America. It may grow to be 10 feet long. Although its flesh can be used for food, it is not commonly eaten.

The long nose gar, or billfish, has extremely long and slender jaws. This fish grows to be about five feet long.

The short nose gar is between two and three feet long.