Invasive species alligator gar reported in Kai Tak River

The discovery of an alligator gar in Kai Tak River has raised concerns as it could pose a threat to the native fish species. The alligator gar, or atractosteus spatula, is an invasive fish species, native to North America.

A netizen wrote on social media recently that the fish was sighted in a section of Kai Tak River near Muk Tai Street, also shared a video showing the approximately one-meter-long fish swimming along the river bed.

It is understood the netizen has already called the government hotline 1823 to report the sighting of the fish, which has an alligator-like head and razor-sharp teeth.

The alligator gar is native to North America. It lives in wetlands, lakes and rivers in the southern U.S. and eastern coast of Mexico. Known as one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, the alligator gar is carnivorous and ferocious. It eats other fish, small mammals, sea fowl, and even turtles. As a result, it is considered an "invasive species" in the U.S., and the population is strictly monitored.

This is not the first time the strange fish has been spotted in Hong Kong. In September 2009, the fish was found in Jockey Club Tak Wah Park in Tsuen Wan, with officers of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department later removing up to 15 of them after they preyed on various aquatic species inside the artificial lakes.

As an invasive species that is not native to the city, the alligator gar has no natural enemies. The abandonment and release of the species into the wild have serious repercussions for local ecosystems.