Northern Pike

Cocked in an S

A northern pike (Esox lucius) is built to ambush. ADW calls it a “sprint predator”: it hides in cover, bent into an S shape, ready to strike. Its eyes are highly movable and can see in practically any direction, which is extremely important in tracking prey. Add sharp teeth and a complex skull and jaw.

Pike are top predators in the systems they inhabit, and they prey on smaller fish, frogs, crayfish, small mammals and birds. FishBase says adults feed mainly on fishes, and cannibalism is common. In arctic lakes a pike is sometimes the only fish species in the water. There, large individuals are mainly cannibals, which means they eat their own kind.

Alarm signal Other fish avoid pike feces because they contain alarm pheromones, which are chemical warning signals.

Size and years

ADW gives an average length of 46 to 51 cm and a mass range of 0.5 to 1.4 kg. The top end is much bigger. FishBase lists a maximum length of 150 cm for a female, a maximum published weight of 28.4 kg and a maximum reported age of 30 years.

No parenting

Pike show no parental involvement. They are random spawners, not nest builders, and the eggs, which hatch in about 2 weeks, get no protection. Young pike face their own predators: the eggs, fry and young may be eaten by other predatory fish, aquatic birds, otters or the larvae of aquatic insects. Young pike have insatiable eating habits and grow rapidly in both length and weight.

Almost any freshwater

Pike are circumpolar in fresh water, meaning they ring the Arctic. In North America they live from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania and Nebraska. They are found in almost every type of freshwater, from cold deep lakes to warm shallow ponds to muddy rivers. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

Pike can cause trouble when people move them. The USGS says that introduced pike can significantly reduce prey density and even eliminate species. In a 1990 University of Montana study, pike eliminated most other fishes except the pumpkinseed, which was likely protected by its deep body and stiff spines, making it difficult prey.