THE PIKES: DISTRIBUTION AND COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 



The pike family includes one genus only — Esox, tlie pikes — inhabit- 

 ants of the fresh waters of the temperate parts of Europe, Asia, and 

 America. The pike proper, Esox lucius, inhabits all three continents 

 and is the only representative of the family in other than the North 

 American continent. In North America there are now recognized 

 five species, mcluding the pike. These are the pike {Esox lucius), 

 the muskellunge {Esox masquinongy) , the eastern pickerel {Esox 



reticulatus) , the banded pickerel 

 {Esox americanus) , and the little 

 pickerel {Esox vermiculatus) . 



The species vary in appearance 

 among themselves according to 

 locality, age, size, and sex, but it 

 is only in muskellunge that sub- 

 species have been designated, 

 and these have been pronounced 

 distinct species by some ichthy- 

 ological authorities (Jordan and 

 Evermann, 1902).« 



Owing to confusion of local 

 names, mistaken identifications, 

 and the scant knowledge of the 

 fishes of some regions, it has not 

 been easy to decide positively 

 regarding the exact geographical 

 distribution of the muskellunge 

 and pike in America, but the 

 ranges of the other species have 

 been fairly well made out. 



The following key should en- 

 able anyone to distinguish any 

 member of the pike family. In 

 this key, however, and in the subsequent text the usual order of 

 arrangement has not been followed, but the most important species 

 are first considered. 



The genus is divisible into three groups according to the squamation 

 of the sides of the head, which easily separates the muskellunge, pike, 

 and pickerels. 



o Pike and pickerel, particularly the latter, have had their original geographical range more or less 

 extended hy man with both good intentions and alleged malice aforethought. Also, places in which 

 the fish was supposed not to occur have, at one time or another, been discovered to contain them. 



Jardine wrote that it had often puzzled naturalists to explain how newly made lakes or streams known to 

 have never contained pike should suddenly have been found to be stocked with them. He added that 

 some naturalists, including the late Frank Buckland, considered that waterfowl, such as ducks, coots, 

 moorhens, or dabchicks, after feeding among aquatic weeds where vivified spawn had been deposited, on 

 taking flight to other waters, conveyed some of the spawn, which is glutinous, sticking among their feath- 

 ers or to their feet. 



FIG. 1.— SQUAMATION OF HEAD OF PIKES, 

 o, Pickerel; 6, pike; c, muskellunge. 



