ESOCIDJH — THE PIKES 205 



It is a northern species, on the whole, ranging from Quebec 

 and Ontario throughout the basin of the Great Lakes to the 

 Ohio, and southward along the Atlantic as far as New Jersey, 

 and northward to the Minnesota River. We have found no 

 record of its occurrence in the Missouri basin. It is usually 

 taken from grassy ponds and clear creeks with a soft mud bottom. 



Family ESOCID/E 



THE PIKES 



Body elongate, more or less compressed posteriorly; scales cycloid, 

 covering body and portions of head, which is always naked above; lateral 

 line weakly developed; skeleton osseous; anterior vertebrae simple; no spines 

 in fins; ventral fins abdominal; dorsal posterior; caudal emarginate; no 

 mesocoracoid; gill-membranes separate; branchiostegals 12 to 20; pseudo- 

 branchise glandular, hidden; gill-rakers tubercle-like, toothed; mouth very 

 large, its cleft half of head; premaxillaries not protractile, most of margin of 

 upper jaw formed by maxillary, which is furnished with supplemental bone; 

 premaxillaries, vomer, and palatines with bands of strong cardiform teeth; 

 lower jaw with strong teeth of different sizes; tongue with a band of small 

 teeth; stomach not csecal, without pyloric appendages; air-bladder simple, 

 with distinct duct; oviparous. 



Fresh waters of northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North 

 America. Size moderate or large. One genus with six species, 

 all but one confined to North America; fossil remains found in 

 Oligocene of Europe. All are of carnivorous habit, being vora- 

 cious and gamy. The flesh is flaky and of good flavor. 



Genus ESOX (Aetedi) Linn^us 



pikes 

 Characters of the genus included above. 



Key to the Species of ESOX found in Illinois 



a. 



Cheeks entirely scaly; branchiostegals 11 to 16. 

 b. Opercles entirely scaly; dorsal rays 11 or 12; scales 105; color greenish, 



barred or reticulated with darker; fins without black spots; length 12 



inches vermiculatus. 



bb. Opercles with the lower half bare of scales; dorsal rays 14 to 16; scales 125; 



color purplish gray to greenish, with many small whitish or yellowish spots; 



dorsal, anal, and caudal spotted with black; length 3 feet lucius. 



aa. Lower half of both cheeks and opercles naked; branchiostegals 17 to 19; 



dorsal rays 17; scales 150; color dark gray, sides usually with scattered 



round black spots, sometimes without spots, sometimes banded with dark; 



fins spotted with black; length 4 to 8 feet masquinor.gy. 



