Esox lucius

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Northern pike
French : Brochet

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Esociformes
Family : Esocidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Commonly reaches 40 cm in length but can grow up to 1.50 m. Long cylindrical body, long snout wide mouth with flattened lips. Coloration grayish-green sometimes with transversal yellow bands or rows of greenish-yellow spots.

Range and habitat
Circumpolar, found in lakes and rivers in Canada, USA, and Northern Europe and Asia, south to Italy and north China. Widely introduced in southern Europe. Lives in lakes, creeks, small and large rivers with aquatic vegetation.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is very common in the wild and has been widely introduced. Treated as a pest. Main threat is degradation and pollution of habitat.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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