CHAPTER IV 



THE PIKE FAMILY 



(Esocida) , 



The fishes of this family have a long body, 

 not much compressed, and not elevated. The 

 head is long, with a flattened and prolonged 

 snout ; a very large mouth filled with long and 

 very sharp, cardlike teeth on the jaws and roof of 

 the mouth, and with smaller teeth on the tongue. 

 They have a single dorsal fin composed entirely 

 of soft rays, and situated very far back and 

 opposite to the anal fin, which is likewise com- 

 posed of soft rays. The scales are small ; the 

 cheeks and gill-covers are more or less scaly; 

 the head is naked above. All are greedy, vora- 

 cious fishes, marauding tyrants, living almost en- 

 tirely on other fishes. There is but one genus, 

 Esox. 



Esox nobilior. The Mascalonge. Body elongate ; head 3f ; depth 

 6; eye 5 ; B. 17 to 19; D. 17; A. 15; scales 150 along the 

 lateral line ; cheeks and opercles naked below, scaly above ; in 

 about 8 rows. 



