This lifeform is found east of the Continental Divide in North America.

Shortnose Gar, Lepisosteus platostomus, is a small species  primarily limited to the Mississippi River System. Rarely over twenty-eight inches in length, its diet consists of insects, small crustaceans and some fish. It is very similar to the spotted gar which shares much of the same range and has spots on its paired fins and on top of its head.

Garpikes are a primitive family of fish that are found from  Canada to Central America and in Cuba. They are characterized by  having a long bill or beak.  There are 7 known species of which 5 are found in North America.  The Lepisosteus genus and the Atractosteus genus (Alligator gar and relatives) belong here. The Atractosteus genus has three species with one species in North America, one in Central America,  and one in Cuba and adjacent islands.

Garfish and the Bowfin are a primitive group of fish that are  only found in the New World. There are probably only nine
species in this entire group. This group has been placed close to the true bony fish.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that  include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They  are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are  found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.