Northern pike (Esox lucius) fish species and information / pictures of Northern pike - Esox lucius

Northern pike (Esox lucius) fish species information

Scientific Name
Esox lucius

Common Name
Northern pike

Biology
Occurs in clear vegetated lakes, quiet pools and backwaters of creeks and small to large rivers (Ref. 5723). Usually solitary and highly territorial. Enters brackish water in the Baltic. Adults feed mainly on fishes, but at times feed heavily on frogs and crayfish (Ref. 27547). 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 (Ref. 59043). Cannibalistic as juveniles (Ref. 30578). Feces of pike are avoided by other fish because they contain alarm pheromones. Deposits feces at specific locations, distant from its foraging area (Ref. 59043). Eggs and young are preyed upon by fishes, aquatic insect larvae, birds, and aquatic mammals (Ref. 1998). Does not generally undertake long migrations,

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Pikes and Mudminnows (Esociformes)

Family

Pikes (Esocidae)

Distribution

Region

Circumpolar in fresh water. North America

Distribution

Circumpolar in fresh water. North America: Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania, Missouri and Nebraska, USA (Ref. 5723). Eurasia: Caspian, Black, Baltic, White, Barents, Arctic, North and Aral Seas and Atlantic basins, southwest to Adour drainage; Mediterranean basin in Rh?ne drainage and northern Italy. Widely distributed in central Asia and Siberia easward to Anadyr drainage (Bering Sea basin). Historically absent from Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean France, central Italy, southern and western Greece, eastern Adriatic basin, Iceland, western Norway and northern Scotland. Widely introduced and translocated throughout Europe (Ref. 59043). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction (Ref. 1739).

Range

74°N - 36°N, 167°W - 180°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

10 °C

Water Temperature To

28 °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

30 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous; depth range 0 - 30 m (Ref. 1998), usually 1 - 5 m (Ref. 1998)

Trophic Level

4.4 s.e. 0.71 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

137 cm

Common Length

55 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5627 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

Vulnerability

High to very high vulnerability (69 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.12-0.23; tm=1-4; tmax=30; Fec=2,000-600,000)

Threat To Humans

Potential pest

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)