Northern pike
📖 Overview
Adults occur in clear vegetated lakes, quiet pools and backwaters of creeks and small to large rivers . Usually solitary and highly territorial. They enter brackish water in the Baltic. Adults feed mainly on fishes, but at times feed heavily on frogs and crayfish . Cannibalism is common. In arctic lakes, it is sometimes the only species present in a given water body. In such cases, juveniles feed on invertebrates and terrestrial vertebrates; large individuals are mainly cannibals . Cannibalistic as juveniles . Feces of pike are avoided by other fish because they contain alarm pheromones. Individuals deposit feces at specific locations, distant from its foraging area . Eggs and young are preyed upon by fishes, aquatic insect larvae, birds, and aquatic mammals . They do not generally undertake long migrations, but a few may move considerable distances . Oviparous . This fish can be heavily infested with parasites, including the broad tapeworm which, if not killed by thorough cooking, can infect human; is used as an intermediate host by a cestode parasite which results to large losses in usable catches of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in some areas; also suffers from a trematode which causes unsightly cysts on the skin . Excellent food fish; utilized fresh and frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked . Valuable game fish . In spite of numerous attempts to culture this species, it was never entirely domesticated and does not accept artificial food . Locally impacted by habitat alterations .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal soft rays (total): 17 - 25; Anal soft rays: 10 - 22; Vertebrae: 57 - 65. Diagnosed from all other freshwater fishes in Europe by the combination of the following characters: long snout; large mouth; dorsal fin origin slightly in front of anal origin; and lateral line with 105-148 scales . Distinguished by its long, flat, 'duck-bill' snout; its large mouth with many large, sharp teeth; and the rearward position of its dorsal and anal fins . Gill rakers present only as patches of sharp teeth on gill arches; lateral line notched posteriorly . Dorsal located far to the rear; anal located under and arising a little behind dorsal; pectorals low on body, base under opercle; pelvic fins low on body; paired fins rounded, paddle-shaped . Caudal fin with 19 rays .: elongated.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Northern pike is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Northern pike is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Spawners move inshore or upstream to the marsh areas to spawn . Generally, spawning occurs during the day. The sexes pair and a larger female is usually attended by one or two smaller males. They swim through and over the vegetation in water usually less than 17.8 cm, releasing eggs and sperm simultaneously at irregular intervals . Eggs are deposited in flooded areas and on submerged vegetation over a period of 2-5 days . Only 5 to 60 eggs ae released at a time . This act is repeated every few minutes for up to several hours, after which the fish rest for some time before resuming. During the resting period, both male and female may take new mates, or they may continue together for several days until all eggs are extruded. Spawned-out adults may stay on the spawning grounds for as long as 14 weeks, but most leave within 6 .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; brackish; pelagic; potamodromous ; depth range 0 - 30 m , usually 1 - 5 m . Subtropical; 10°C - 28°C ; 72°N - 37°N, 11°W - 55°W North America: Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River basins from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania and Nebraska, USA (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
fishes, but at times feed heavily on frogs and crayfish (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Northern pike · Northern pike, Pike · Pike · American Pike · Common Pike · Great Lakes Pike · Great Northern Pickerel · Great Northern Pike · Jack · Jackfish · Pickerel · Snake · Wolf |
| 🇸🇦Arabic | البايك الشمالي |
| 🌍BOS | Štuka |
| 🌍BUL | Щука |
| 🌍CES | Štika obecná |
| 🌍CYM | Penhwyaid · penhwyad |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Almindelig gedde · Gedde |
| 🇩🇪German | Europäischer Hecht · Flußhecht · Hecht · Hechten · Heichit |
| 🌍ELL | Τούρνα |
| 🌍EST | Haugi |
| 🌍FAS | اردک ماهي |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Hauki |
| 🇫🇷French | Bec de canard · Brochet · Brochet du nord · Brouchet · Brouchetta · Brouché · Hecht · Lancerons · Poignards · grand brochet |
| 🌍GLE | Lius |
| 🌍HEB | זאב המים |
| 🇭🇷Croatian | Štuka |
| 🇭🇺Hungarian | Csuka |
| 🌍ISL | Gedda |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Luccio |
| 🌍LAV | Haugi |
| 🌍LIT | Europinė lydeka · lydeka |
| 🌍MKD | Штука |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Snoek |
| 🌍NNO | gjedde |
| 🌍NOB | gjedde |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Gjedde |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Szczupak · szczupak pospolity |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Lúcio |
| 🌍RON | Marlita · Stiuca |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Щу́ка · Щука обыкновенная |
| 🌍SLV | Scuka |
| 🌍SME | hávga |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Lucio · Lucio europeo |
| 🌍SRP | Stuka · Штука |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Gädda |
| 🌍TUR | Turna baligi · turna balığı |
| 🌍UKR | Щука звичайна |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 北梭子鱼 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esox boreus | Agassiz | 1850 | Synonym |
| Esox estor | Lesueur | 1818 | Synonym |
| Esox lucioides | Agassiz & Girard | 1850 | Synonym |
| Esox lucius atrox | Anikin | 1902 | Synonym |
| Esox lucius bergi | Kaganowsky | 1933 | Synonym |
| Esox lucius lucius | - | - | Synonym |
| Esox lucius variegatus | Fitzinger | 1832 | Heterotypic |
| Esox nobilior | Thompson | 1850 | Synonym |
| Esox reichertii baicalensis | Dybowski | 1874 | Synonym |
| Luccius vorax | Rafinesque | 1810 | Synonym |
| Lucius lucius | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Trematina foveolata | Trautschold | 1884 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 80 records indexed .
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