Como identificar Northern Pike

Para identificar Northern Pike (Esox lucius), observe estas características principais.

Características físicas

Formato do corpo

torpedo

Coloração

Typically dark green to olive-green on the back, fading to yellowish-white on the belly. Sides are marked with irregular rows of light, bean-shaped spots. Fins are often reddish or orange with dark blotches.

Tipo de escama

cycloid

Posição da boca

terminal

Características distintivas

Elongated, cylindrical body, Large, duck-bill-like snout, Numerous sharp, backward-pointing teeth on jaws, palate, and tongue, Single dorsal fin positioned far back on the body, directly above the anal fin, Lateral line usually complete, with 105-148 scales

Nadadeira dorsal

Single, soft-rayed, located posteriorly, directly above the anal fin. Typically 17-25 rays.

Nadadeira caudal

Forked, with rounded lobes.

Nadadeira peitoral

Relatively small, positioned low on the body.

Nadadeiras características

Dorsal and anal fins are set far back on the body, contributing to its burst-speed predatory capability.

Dicas de identificação

1. 1

   Snout Shape

   The Northern Pike has a distinctive flattened, duck-bill-like snout, which is longer and more pointed than that of muskellunge.

2. 2

   Cheek and Operculum Scaling

   The entire cheek is scaled, but only the upper half of the operculum (gill cover) is scaled. This is a key differentiator from muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), which has scaling only on the upper half of both the cheek and operculum, and grass pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus) which has both fully scaled.

3. 3

   Body Markings

   Northern Pike typically have light, bean-shaped spots on a darker body background. Muskellunge usually have dark spots or bars on a lighter background, or are unpatterned.

4. 4

   Pore Count on Underside of Jaw

   Northern Pike typically have 5 pores on each side of the underside of the lower jaw (mandibular pores), whereas muskellunge usually have 6-9 pores.

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