18(5 NORTHERN FISHES 



MUD PICKEREL (Grass Pike) 

 Esox venniculatiis LeSueur 



Esox vermiculatuH is a small pickerel rarely reaching a length of over 

 12 inches. The body is olive green and is marked with dark, wormlike 

 wavy bars. The branchiostegals usually number 11-13. There are about 

 105 scales in the lateral line. The opercle is entirely scaled. 



The mud pickerel is distributed from Iowa across southern Wisconsin 

 and Michigan into southern Ontario, and southward into the Gulf 

 States. Greene (1985) reported it for southern Wisconsin and gives a 

 record from the Mississippi between Iowa and southern Wisconsin. 

 Although this species was reported for Minnesota from a very early 

 record (Surber, 1920) the evidence for this record is not conclusive. No 

 specimens have been reported in Minnesota in the last fifty years and it 

 is doubtful that it is present except perhaps in the extreme south- 

 eastern corner of the state. Because of its small size this pickerel has 

 little value as a pan or game fish. 



NORTHERN PIKE (Pickerel, Great Northern Pike, Jackfish, 

 Ke-no-shay of the Red Lake Chippewas) 



Esox lucius Linnaeus 



The northern pike (Figure 31) is a more or less elongated fish. It has 

 a dorsal fin far back on the body. The depth varies considerably. The 

 head is more or less elongated and depressed forward into a pair of 

 ducklike jaws. The top and front of the head are without scales. The 

 cheeks are entirely covered by scales. The upper half of the opercle is 

 covered by scales, but the lower half is naked. The branchiostegals 

 number 11-16, usually 14-16. The depth of the body is contained 5 to 

 7 times in the length. The dorsal fins have 16 to 19 rays. The ventral 

 fins are located halfway between the anal and pectoral fins. The sen- 

 sory pores of both sides of the ventral surface of the mandible num- 

 ber 10 or occasionally fewer. 



The color is bluish and greenish gray, the belly white or yellow. In 

 adults the sides are more or less covered by light spots against a darker 



Figure 31. Northern pike, Esox Iitciu.-!. 28 inches long. 



