Record-Setting 207 Pound Alligator Gar Caught In Texas Is Huge

Often called a ‘living fossil,’ the alligator gar is one of the coolest and oldest living freshwater species of fish on earth. These primitive fishes have retained many morphological characteristics of their ancient ancestors.

A record-setting 207-pound alligator gar was just caught in Texas. It is the largest specimen ever landed on Lake Corpus Christi.

Angler Paul Hefner caught the record-setting alligator gar before weighing it, measuring it, and releasing it back into the lake.

A photograph him laying down next to the fish measuring 7 feet, 6 inches long and weighing 207 pounds has gone viral as news of his incredible catch made the rounds:

Scroll to the right on that Instagram gallery and you’ll see video of him releasing the gargantuan gar.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife official Twitter account confirmed that the fish was released to live another day:

At 207 pounds, this fish is a certified monster. However, consider for a moment that this…