At the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas, we stepped inside to have a look at some very relaxed gar. The gar can be found in North and Central America as well as around the Caribbean islands. The gar is a primitive fish from the Mesozoic era that is closely related to the bowfin, another archaic fish found in North America. Gars are not handsome fish, by any means, and they can be quite large as well; the smallest species reaching up to two feet in length. Gars are predatory fish that feed on smaller fish and crabs. Gar use their sharp teeth to capture their prey.