Details
Esox lucius
The northern pike is a freshwater ambush predator across the Nearctic and Palearctic. Active across day and night, it launches from cover at passing prey.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses lakes, marshes, slow rivers, and shallow vegetated margins. Clear water and dense aquatic plants provide ideal hunting cover.
Length is about 40-150 cm and weight about 1-28 kg. The long body, duckbill-like snout, sharp teeth, and pale-spotted olive color are distinctive.
It lives alone or loosely spaced and often behaves territorially. A pike waits nearly motionless among plants, then bursts forward over a short distance.
It is carnivorous, feeding mainly on fish while also taking amphibians and young waterbirds. The broad mouth and teeth seize prey from the side.
Spawning occurs in spring in shallow marshes or weedy edges. Eggs are scattered, and young grow among vegetation while eating small animals.
Its status is listed as Least Concern. It is a top predator in cool freshwater systems, but introduced populations can pressure native fish.
