ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 photographer Ulen Hodges captured an interesting photograph Tuesday while covering flooding in Orange County’s Orlo Vista neighborhood.
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The community, which sits south of West Colonial Drive between North Hiawassee and North Kirkman roads, has endured ongoing flooding.
Neighbors have begun to assess the damages left behind by the hurricane, and at one home, Hodges spotted a seemingly ancient fish called the Florida gar.
The fish had become trapped in a homeowner’s fence during the flooding.
The bony, prehistoric fish has scales that form a hard armor, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They typically inhabit streams, canals and lakes with mud or sand bottoms near underwater vegetation, FWC said.
Reasons why we don't wade barefoot in flood waters #4290332.
— Nick Papantonis WFTV (@NPapantonisWFTV) October 5, 2022
📸 WFTV Photographer Ulen, Orlo Vista. #Ian pic.twitter.com/QlQaosUPma
“(Gar) use an airbladder to breathe air in low-oxygen water,” the agency said. “Adults primarily feed on fish, shrimp and crayfish.”
The largest-ever Florida gar captured in Florida weighed almost 10 pounds.
READ: Hurricane Ian: How to take care of your mental health following the storm
Residents in Orlo Vista are upset with the devastation that the storm left behind, saying that this is their breaking point.
The county has said it is committed to making improvements, but people in the neighborhood say they’ve heard that before.
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