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Are Gar Fish & Piranha Fish Related?

Some of the most infamous species among freshwater predatory fish are the piranha and gar fish. Both piranha and gar are part of the Actinopterygii class, which indicates that both species are ray-finned fishes that constitute a class of bony fishes. The two species also share the same phylum: Chordata. Chordates are partly defined as having spent an amount of time with a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle and a post-anal tail. While piranha and gar are not related, they do share many characteristics in common -- including some sharp teeth.

Teeth
- One of the most well-known characteristics of piranha are their sharp teeth.
  
  Perhaps the most noticeable shared characteristic of both piranhas and gar fish are their teeth. Piranha have shorter, razor-like teeth, good for shredding their food and tearing through flesh, skin and bone. Gar fish have rows of narrow teeth, useful for grabbing and keeping hold of prey.
Appearance
- Gar have long jaws and bodies with rows of sharp teeth.
  
  Gar fish are long, heavily armored fish that sport rows of sharp, narrow teeth. Gar are covered in ganoid scales, with are diamond-shaped, shiny and extremely hard. They're also extremely hardy fish, able to withstand conditions that kill other fish in their environment. A piranha's appearance is quite opposite of a gar's; piranha are short, thick fish. Piranha also have a keel-like edge running over the spine of the fish, from the head to the dorsal fin, and running down the lower belly.
Diet
- Both gar and piranha will feed on small animals like frogs.
  
  Gar typically feed on small animals, such as other fish, lizards, frogs and crustaceans. Some of the larger gar, such as alligator gar, will feed on larger fish and small mammals. Piranhas feed on a number of things, depending on the species. Some focus primarily on feeding on fins and scales of other fish, as well as nuts and fruits. Other piranha will prey on anything ranging from from small animals, such as other fish, lizards and frogs, to much larger prey, such as birds and small mammals.
Mannerisms
- Gar and piranha keep to murky freshwater bodies of water.
  
  Gar tend to be fairly slow-moving fish, except when it comes to catching prey. Congregating in small groups or keeping along, gar fish can appear to be almost timid at times; however, all gar are aggressive predatory fish and demonstrate this when attacking their prey. Piranha are well-known for their quick movements and power in numbers. Piranha hunt in large groups, which allow them to more easily catch and take apart their prey. Despite sticking to large groups, a piranha will maim or kill fellow piranha if it picks up on weakness or injury or is simply feeling especially aggressive.

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