The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is returning a fish called the alligator gar to the state’s rivers. Some people call the fish a living fossil. Experts believe the fish first appeared during the Early Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago. Randy Sauer is an Illinois state fisheries biologist. He says the fish disappeared from the state’s rivers in the 1990s, although they have continued to do well in southern states. Sauer says biologists want to bring the fish back to northern rivers “because it is important to have top predators to balance the species below them,” he said. Sport fishermen like to try to catch the alligator gar. Alligator gar are the second-largest freshwater fish in North America.
Title: Ancient Fish Returns to Illinois Waters
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/ancient_fish.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Ancient Fish Returns to Illinois Waters' data-article-id='2547'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10083'>The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is returning a fish called the alligator gar to the state’s rivers.</span> <span data-start-time='10083' data-end-time='14542'>Some people call the fish a living fossil.</span> <span data-start-time='14542' data-end-time='25354'>Experts believe the fish first appeared during the Early Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago.</span> <span data-start-time='25354' data-end-time='31458'>Randy Sauer is an Illinois state fisheries biologist.</span> <span data-start-time='31458' data-end-time='44604'>He says the fish disappeared from the state’s rivers in the 1990s, although they have continued to do well in southern states.</span> <span data-start-time='44604' data-end-time='60750'>Sauer says biologists want to bring the fish back to northern rivers “because it is important to have top predators to balance the species below them,” he said.</span> <span data-start-time='60750' data-end-time='66917'>Sport fishermen like to try to catch the alligator gar.</span> <span data-start-time='66917' data-end-time='73792'>Alligator gar are the second-largest freshwater fish in North America.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/ancient_fish.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=9145 data-hint-location='44604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/what_does_balance_mean.m4a'>What does balance mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='even distribution'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/predator_below.m4a'><span>predator below</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/bring_back_fish.m4a'><span>bring back fish</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/even_distribution.m4a'><span>even distribution</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/better_fishing.m4a'><span>better fishing</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=9146 data-hint-location='31458' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/where_do_the_fish_do_well.m4a'>Where do the fish do well?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='southern states'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/deep_water.m4a'><span>deep water</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/catch_and_release_program.m4a'><span>catch and release program</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/southern_states.m4a'><span>southern states</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/in_the_midwest.m4a'><span>in the midwest</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=9147 data-hint-location='10083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/people_call_the_fish_a__blank_.m4a'>People call the fish a <span class='blank'>living fossil</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='living fossil'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/state_river.m4a'><span>state river</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/living_fossil.m4a'><span>living fossil</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/top_predator.m4a'><span>top predator</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2029/good_catch.m4a'><span>good catch</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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