Pike

• Length 18"-30", can exceed 4'
• Weight 20 oz to 8 lbs, to over 40 lbs
• Color
  • extremely variable, depending upon the waters from which it is taken.
  • back and sides predominantly dark green to olive-green, to almost brown, with irregular rows of yellow to white spots.blueish-green to grey
  • lighter on lower sides
  • underside cream to milk-white
  • tiny gold spot on the tip of most scales - appears flecked with gold.
  • eyes brilliant yellow
• Body
  • slimy; long, slender, and serpentine
  • lateral line of 119 to128 scales
  • dorsal fin of 16-19 soft rays, located far back on the body
• Head
  • long and flat, depressed forward into a pair of large, duck-billed jaws imbedded with numerous canine teeth.
  • teeth sharp, backward-slanting
  • cheek fully scaled, but lower half of opercle scaleless
  • number of sensory pores located along the undersides of the lower jaws is never more than 10
  • 14-16 branchiostegal rays in membrane just below gill cover.
• Lifespan 10-26 years depending upon the area

Back