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Taxonomy of Northern Pike in Ichthyology - Lecture Slides | BIOL 310, Study notes of Biology

Material Type: Notes; Professor: Steinhart; Class: Ichthyology; Subject: Biology; University: Lake Superior State University; Term: Unknown 1989;

Typology: Study notes

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Uploaded on 08/07/2009

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Northern Pike
Esox lucius
By Andrew Briggs
Taxonomy
!Class: Actinopterygii
!Order: Esociformes
!Family: Esocidae
!Genus: Esox
!Specific Epithet: lucius
Identification and Characteristics
!Body Shape: elongate and cylindrical
!Mouth/Dentition: duck-billed snout with terminal
mouth with numerous caniniform teeth
!Coloration: rows of light oval spots on a dark green
background; belly is cream or white
!Fins: forked tail, single dorsal fin with no spines, no
adipose fin and anal and dorsal fin are positioned
posteriorly
!Size: max length of 150 cm (59 inches) and 35 kg (77
lbs)
How to Distinguish From Similar
Species
!Northern Pike:
!Cheek is fully scaled,
opercle only half
scaled
!5 mandibular pores per
side of jaw and 14-16
branchiostegal rays
!Oval spots on dark
green background
(adults)
!Muskellunge:
!Only top of cheek and
opercle scaled
!6-9 mandibular pores
per side of jaw and 16-
19 branchiostegal rays
!Solid light olive color or
dark verticle bars or
spots on light
background (adults)
!Northern Pike:
!Cheek is fully scaled,
opercle only half
scaled
!5 mandibular pores per
side of jaw and 14-16
branchiostegal rays
!Oval spots on dark
green background
(adults)
!Muskellunge:
!Only top of cheek and
opercle scaled
!6-9 mandibular pores
per side of jaw and 16-
19 branchiostegal rays
!Solid light olive color or
dark verticle bars or
spots on light
background (adults)
pf3
pf4

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Northern Pike

Esox lucius

By Andrew Briggs

Taxonomy

! Class: Actinopterygii

! Order: Esociformes

! Family: Esocidae

! Genus: Esox

! Specific Epithet: lucius

Identification and Characteristics

! Body Shape: elongate and cylindrical ! Mouth/Dentition: duck-billed snout with terminal mouth with numerous caniniform teeth ! Coloration: rows of light oval spots on a dark green background; belly is cream or white ! Fins: forked tail, single dorsal fin with no spines, no adipose fin and anal and dorsal fin are positioned posteriorly ! Size: max length of 150 cm (59 inches) and 35 kg ( lbs)

How to Distinguish From Similar

Species

! Northern Pike: ! Cheek is fully scaled, opercle only half scaled ! 5 mandibular pores per side of jaw and 14- branchiostegal rays ! Oval spots on dark green background (adults) ! Muskellunge: ! Only top of cheek and opercle scaled ! 6-9 mandibular pores per side of jaw and 16- 19 branchiostegal rays ! Solid light olive color or dark verticle bars or spots on light background (adults) ! Northern Pike: ! Cheek is fully scaled, opercle only half scaled ! 5 mandibular pores per side of jaw and 14- branchiostegal rays ! Oval spots on dark green background (adults) ! Muskellunge: ! Only top of cheek and opercle scaled ! 6-9 mandibular pores per side of jaw and 16- 19 branchiostegal rays ! Solid light olive color or dark verticle bars or spots on light background (adults)

How to Distinguish Continued

! Grass Pickeral:

! Fully scaled cheek and opercle ! 4 mandibular pores and 10 to 14 branchiostegal rays ! Color is dark and mottled with irregular vertical bars ! Have a dark vertical bar below eye

  • Northern Pike:
  • Muskellunge:
  • Grass Pickeral: Juveniles

! Northern Pike:

! Muskellunge:

! Grass Pickeral:

Northern Pike x Muskellunge (Tiger Muskellunge)

! Intermediate color and pigment patterns

! Partially scaled cheek

! 5 mandibular pores

Native Range

! Native to most of the northern United States

and Canada

! Also found in from France to eastern Siberia

and south to northern Italy

Diet

! Have a wide range of food items

! Most adults eat other fish (sometimes other northern pike) ! Also eat frogs and crayfish ! Have been known to eat ducks and small mammals http://www.finn-tasticcanada.com/Northern.jpg Feeding Style

! Normally lie-and-wait predators

! Use their disruptive coloration to blend in with surrounding cover

! Are willing to take on very large prey

! Will often eat something and let it hang out of their mouth as they digest it

! Often take an “S” shape to spring them

forward to take their prey

Human Impact

! Commercial fishery

! Gamefish

! Public aquariums

! Tasty

! Look out for “Y” bones http://www.finn-tasticcanada.com/Northern.jpg