Common pike (Esox lucius) is one of the most famous freshwater predatory fish, which can be found in rivers, lakes, and even slow-moving tributaries with moderate currents.
🦈 What makes a pike special?
✔ Instant reaction and lightning fast attack
✔ Camouflage for the environment thanks to camouflage coloring
✔ Impressive dimensions - can exceed 1.5 meters!
✔ A huge number of teeth that make it an unsurpassed predator
✔ A symbol of sport fishing and the main predator of many reservoirs
This fish he has no pity for his prey and there is a tireless hunterby controlling the number of other fish in the reservoir.
Scientific classification
🔬 Taxonomy of the common pike:
✔ The Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
✔ Type: Chordal (Chordata)
✔ Class: Lucheperi pisces (Actinopterygii)
✔ Row: Pike-like animals (Esociformes)
✔ Family: Shchuchye (Esocidae)
✔ Gender: Pike (Esox)
✔ View: Common pike (Esox lucius)
📌 Interesting!
Title “Esox” it comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "big predatory perch”.
Description and anatomy
, Main Features:
✔ Body length: on average, 50-100 cm, the largest individuals – more than 150 cm
✔ Weight: as usual from 2 to 10 kg, but there are record instances up to 25-30 kg
✔ Life span: 15-25 years old
🔹 Appearance features:
✅ The elongated, torpedo-shaped body is ideal for lightning-fast jerks
✅ Large flattened head with an expanded mouth in the shape of a”duck's beak"
✅ The eyes are set high, which helps to navigate well in the water
✅ Color ranges from olive green to brownish gray, with light spots for camouflage
✅ The caudal, dorsal and anal fins are shifted back, which provides a powerful start when attacking
📌 Interesting!
In the mouth of a pike up to 700 sharp teethwhich are constantly updated!
Distribution and habitat
🌍 Where does the pike live?
Common pike it is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, in particular in:
✅ Europe (Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France)
✅ Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia)
✅ North America (Canada, USA)
🔹 Natural habitats:
✅ Lakes, rivers, reservoirs, staritsy, bays
✅ Prefers clear water, but can live even in wetlands
✅ It hides among aquatic vegetation or at the bottom in an ambush
📌 Interesting!
Pike is capable of survive in low oxygen environmentsthis gives it an advantage over other fish in harsh environments.
Lifestyle and behavior
🔹 Basic behavioral traits:
✔ Lone predator-does not form flocks
✔ Hunts from ambush-lightning fast attacks the victim
✔ Mostly active in the morning and evening
✔ Can be a cannibal-large pikes prey on smaller relatives
🔹 Temperature range:
✅ Optimal temperature: 15-22°C
Выдерж Maintains the range of: 0-30°C, can be activated even under ice
📌 Interesting!
Pike perfectly camouflaged - it can stand unbroken among the seaweed, waiting for prey.
Food and hunting
🔹 What does the pike eat?
✅ Small fish (perch, roach, crucian carp)
✅ Frogs, crayfish, birds and even small mammals
Насеком Insects and larvae (at a young age)
📌 Interesting!
Pike attacks at lightning speed, accelerating up to 6 m / s - the victim does not have time to escape!
Reproduction and life cycle
🔹 Interesting features of reproduction:
✔ Spawning in early spring-even during the melting of ice (March-April)
✔ The female lays up to 200,000-500,000 eggs in shallow flooded areas
✔ Fry grow very quickly and can feed on small fish in just a few weeks
📌 Interesting!
Pike can start hunt fish when it is only 5 cm long!
Pike and man
🔹 Economic and sporting value:
✔ Popular fish among amateur anglers and athletes
✔ One of the most important commercial fish in Europe and Canada
✔ Its meat is valued for its low fat content and high nutritional value
🔹 Environmental status:
⚠ It is not under threat, but catch control is necessary to preserve the population.
⚠ Some reservoirs limit the catch of large individuals
📌 Interesting!
A record pike was caught in Germany-its weight was 31.2 kg!
Conclusion
Common pike (Esox lucius) is one of the most dangerous predatory fish in freshwater reservoirs.
🌊 It is ideally adapted to hunting, has a lightning-fast response and is an important regulator of the fish population in water bodies.
🎣 Did you manage to catch a pike? What's the biggest specimen you've ever seen? 🔥🐟
