Wikipedia

Esox

"Pike (fish)" redirects here. For other fishes known by this name, seePike.

Esoxis agenusoffreshwater fishcommonly known aspikeorpickerel.It is the type genus of thefamilyEsocidae.Thetype speciesof the genus isEsox lucius,thenorthern pike.

Esox
Temporal range:Paleocene–Recent
Northern pike(E. lucius)
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Esociformes
Family: Esocidae
G. Cuvier,1817
Genus: Esox
Linnaeus,1758
Type species
Esox lucius

Esoxhave a fossil record extending back to thePaleocene.Modern large pike species are native to thePalearcticandNearctic realms,ranging acrossNorthern Americaand fromWestern EuropetoSiberiainNorth Asia.

Pike have the elongated,torpedo-like shape typical ofpredatory fishes,with sharply pointed heads and sharp teeth. Their coloration is typically grey-green with a mottled or spotted appearance with stripes along their backs, providingcamouflageamong underwater weeds, and each individual pike marking patterns are unique like fingerprints. Pikes can grow to a maximum recorded length of 1.50 m (5 ft), reaching a maximum recorded weight of 67lb 8oz.[citation needed]

Etymology

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A youngE. luciusspecimen — a "chain pickerel"in the original sense — in anaquarium.

The generic nameEsox(pike fish) derives from theGreekἴσοξ (ee-soks,a large fish) and appears to becognatewithCeltic,WelsheogandIrish Gaeliciasc(fish), as well as alpine Gaulic*esoskwhich is consistent with the originalindoeuropeanroot for the common word for fish,*pei(k)sk.Plinyuses theLatinformEsoxin reference to a large fish in theRhinenormally identified withSalmonidae(laxor salmon).Carolus LinnæusattributesEsoxto the pike fish which is of similar form and appearance but taxonomically different from the salmon forms, whereas the first mention ofEsoxas a marine animal appears in the writings ofHesychius.

TheEnglishcommon name "pike" is an apparent shortening of "pike-fish", in reference to its pointed head, as theOld Englishwordpícoriginally referring to apickaxe.Thepluralof pike is also pike.[1][2]

ANorthern EnglishandLowland Scotsname for the pike,ged,similarly derives fromOld Norsegaddr(spike) (cf. the modernSwedishname for the pike,gädda,the Danish "gedde", the Norwegian "gjedde" andScottish Gaelic:geadais). TheDutchname for the pike (snoek) has been given to a wide variety of fish reminding sailors of the pike (see snoek,snook).

The English "pike" originally referred specifically to the adult fish, the diminutive form "pickerel"(now used to name some of the smaller pike species, e.g.E. americanusandE. niger) referring to the young. Thewalleye(Sander vitreus) is sometimes called a pickerel or a walleyed pike, but it is unrelated to the pike, being a member of the perch family (Percidae). Pike are not to be confused with the unrelatedpikeminnowsof genusPtychocheilus(familyCyprinidae) orpikeperch(Sander lucioperca) which is more akin to walleye than to pike. Pike are also called "jackfish" in North America and informally "slough shark" in Western Canada.

Species

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Currently, seven recognized species are placed in this genus:

Image Scientific name Common Name Subspecies Distribution
Esox aquitanicusDenys,Dettai,Persat,Hautecœur&Keith,2014 Aquitanianpike[3] Charenteto theAdourdrainages in southwesternFrance
Esox americanusJ. F. Gmelin,1789 American pickerel theSt. Lawrencedrainage inQuebec,down to theGulf CoastfromMississippitoFlorida;theGreat Lakes BasinfromOntariotoMichigan,down to the western Gulf Coast, fromEast Texasto Mississippi.
Esox cisalpinusBianco&Delmastro,2011 Southern pike[4] centralandnorthern Italy,southeastern France andSwitzerland,and it might also occur inwestern Balkans.
Esox luciusLinnaeus,1758 Northern pike Britain,Ireland,northern Europe,most ofCanada,and most parts of theUnited States
Esox masquinongyMitchill,1824 Muskellunge
  • Esox masquinongy masquinongy(Great Lakes muskellunge or Spotted muskellunge )
  • Esox masquinongy ohioensis(Chautauqua muskellunge or Barred muskellunge)
  • Esox masquinongy immaculatus(Clear muskellunge)
 mesotrophic lakes and large rivers from northern Michigan, northernWisconsin,and northernMinnesotathrough the Great Lakes region, north into Canada
Esox nigerLesueur,1818 Chain pickerel southern Canada to Florida, and west to Texas. On theAtlantic NortheastinMaine,New Hampshire,New BrunswickandNova Scotia
Esox reichertiiDybowski,1869 Amur pike theAmur Riversystem inNortheast Asia

HybridsbetweenEsox masquinongyandEsox luciusare well-known and referred to as thetiger muskellunge.

Fossil species

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FossilEsox

The oldest fossil species ofEsoxisEsox tiemani,from the latePaleoceneagedPaskapoo Formationof Canada, which differs little from modern species.[5]Other fossil species includeEsox kronneri,from theEoceneof theGreen River formation,[6]andEsox nogaicus,is known from thePleistoceneofUkraine,and species from theMiocene(Esox sibiricus) andPliocene(Esox moldavicus) deposits from Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Moldavia.[7]Two additional fossil species, both from the Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada, are placed in their own genera:Estesesox foxi[8](SantoniantoCampanian[9]), andOldmanesox canadensis[8][6](Campanian toMaastrichtian[10]).

Diet

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Pike inHaus des Meeres,Vienna

Pike feed on a wide range of food sources, predominantly smallershoal fish.Pike are also cannibalistic, sometimes preying upon smaller members of their own species. This can be seen clearly in thenorthern pike.

They will also prey oninsectsandamphibianssuch asnewtsorfrogsin times when their usual food is scarce, and occasionally on smallmammalslikemolesormicewhen caught water-borne. Small birds such asducklingsmay become a target for hungry pike. Pike are also known to prey on swimmingsnakes.

They are, however, undeserving of their reputation for being overly vicious predators. There have been some incidents of pike "attacks" on people.[11]Pike's further reputation as apestseems to lie predominantly amongst a small handful of anglers and fishery managers who think that invasive species of pike are a threat to native rough fish and also other sport fish.

Angling and handling methods

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Sign on theRiver Shannon,Ireland
A caught pike, supported by thegill coversto prevent the fish from biting the hand of the angler who caught it

Effective methods for catching this hard-fighting fish include dead baits, live baits, and lure fishing. Pike can easily be damaged when handled since they are not as robust as their reputation would suggest and have a very sensitive slime coat. Since pike have numerous sharp teeth it is wise to take extreme care when unhooking them. The use of a wet leathergauntletandsurgical forcepsto remove hooks is highly recommended on safety grounds.

If practicing catch and release fishing, care for the pike should be the pike angler's utmost concern. The formerly recommended practice of grasping a pike by its eye sockets (misinterpreted as "its eyes" ) resulted in numerous released pike that quickly died from the inability to see prey any longer. The current recommended method of grasping pike is to close the hand firmly over thegill covers,and to make the period of handling as short as possible before release. Grabbing a pike by the gill covers is not feasible when a pike is very big, but it is easy to handle a pike by inserting the fingers at the bottom of the gill opening and grabbing the lower jaw. Big pike should also be supported at the belly. When a pike is held this way it is also easier to keep the mouth open to remove a hook. Some anglers now use special grips to grab the pike's front lower jaw, which can add to the safety of an angler because of the danger imposed by the hooks of the lure or tackle and the pike's teeth. However, these can cause serious damage to a pike's lower jaw. The Pike Anglers Club was formed in 1977 to campaign for the preservation of pike and the sport of pike fishing.

Pike are susceptible togut hookingwhen fished for with natural bait. Upon taking the bait, the pike will hold it for a short time in its mouth as it moves off. The pike will then, usually, turn the bait in its mouth, so that it sits in alignment with its throat to ease swallowing. It is recommended that when pike fishing the process is not allowed to go this far and a strike is recommended as soon as a bite is indicated. Otherwise, what is known asgut hookingwill result, which will normally kill or seriously injure the fish. Dutch research shows that cutting the line immediately when the fish is gut hooked will still give low mortality (14%). The hooks in the gut or stomach were either encapsulated or removed from the body.[12]Placing hooks near the rear of the bait reduces the risk of deep hooking.[13]To minimize injury from gut hooking the hook should be taken out from the gills where you will insert your pliers or forceps. Grab as close to the base of the hook as you can and rotate the eye of the hook toward the bottom of the fish's mouth and be removed carefully as to not rehook the fish.

Other methods of catching and handling pike that are now frowned upon are thegaffand the gag. The gaff is a metal hook on the end of a pole used to hook through the fish's body in place of a more humane landing net. A gag is a device for holding open the pike's mouth whilst unhooking. These are now illegal in Scotland, as they put a huge amount of pressure on a pike's jaw, thus causing irreparable damage.

Cuisine

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Quenelle de brochetsauce Nantua

The taste of pike and pickerel is highly esteemed, but the "multitude of long, fine, forked bones" are problematic.[14] [15]The dish ofquenelles de brochet(pike dumplings), which puts the meat through a sieve, was invented to deal with this.[16]Indeed,Escoffierbelieved, falsely, thatquenelleshad completely displaced the whole fish from the menu.[14]

Submarines and tanks

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TwoUnited States Navysubmarineshave been namedPike–SS-6of 1903 andSS-173of 1935 – and three –SS-22of 1912,SS-177of 1936, andSS-524of 1944 – namedPickerel.In addition, theSovietsubmarines known toNATOas theVictor III classandAkula classare called theShchuka(Щука, "pike" ) class inRussian.The SovietIosif Stalin tank (IS-3)was also nicknamedShchuka,in reference to its sharply pointed hull front.

Cultural significance

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Mythology

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Russian mythology holds that the pike is one of several forms assumed by evil water spirits calledvodyanoy,and a ravenous mythical pike is traditionally blamed for decimating the fish population in theSheksna River.Russian fairy tales, on the other hand, also tell about an old wise pike that can fulfil wishes of the one who catches it, if its catcher releases it back into its habitat.[17]

In the FinnishKalevala,Väinämöinencreates akantele(string instrument) from the jawbone of a pike.

Heraldry

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Inheraldry,the pike is called alucy(English heraldry) or aged(Scottish heraldry).[1]It is usuallyblazonedeithernaiant(swimming),embowed(bowed) orhauriant(jumping), though pairs of lucies may appearaddorsed(back to back), as in the arms of theFinnishtown ofUusikaupunki(Argent, two lucies addorsed azure).[citation needed]

Uusikaupunkicoat of arms
The canting arms ofLucie de Cockermouth:Gules, three lucies in pale argent, (2 and 1).
Coat of arms ofGimte,inLower Saxony,Germany.

Literature

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InGeorge R. R. Martin'sA Song of Ice and Fireseries ofepic fantasynovels, both theseatand thehighborn bastardsof theIron Islandsare named "Pyke", likely inspired by the pike fish since the islands are inhabited byViking-likeseafaringwarriors who frequentpirateships andraidthe coastal regions.

References

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  1. ^abFox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1909).A Complete Guide to Heraldry.London: T.C. & E.C. Jack. p. 255.LCCN09023803.
  2. ^Woodward, John (1892).A treatise on heraldry, British and foreign.Edinburgh: W. & A.K. Johnston. p. 694.LCCN02020303.Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2007.Retrieved29 May2009.
  3. ^Denys, Gaël Pierre Julien; Dettai, Agnès; Persat, Henri; Hautecœur, Mélyne; Keith, Philippe (2014)."Morphological and Molecular Evidence of Three Species of PikesEsoxspp. (Actinopterygii, Esocidae) in France, including the Description of A New Species ".Comptes Rendus Biologies.337(9): 521–34.doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2014.07.002.PMID25242691.
  4. ^Lucentini, Puletti, Ricciolini, Gigliarelli, Fontaneto, Lanfaloni, Bilò, Natali, Panara (2011).Molecular and Phenotypic Evidence of a New Species of Genus Esox (Esocidae, Esociformes, Actinopterygii): The Southern Pike, Esox flaviae.PLoS ONE 6(12): e25218.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025218
  5. ^Sinha, Sinjini; Brinkman, Don B; Murray, Alison M. (14 December 2019)."A morphological study of vertebral centra in extant species of pike, Esox (Teleostei: Esociformes)".Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology.7:111–128.doi:10.18435/vamp29357.ISSN2292-1389.S2CID213203684.
  6. ^abGrande, L. (1999). "The FirstEsox(Esocidae: Teleostei) from the Eocene Green River Formation, and a Brief Review of Esocid Fishes ".Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.19(2): 271–292.Bibcode:1999JVPal..19..271G.doi:10.1080/02724634.1999.10011141.
  7. ^Kovalchuk, Oleksandr M.; Wilson, Mark V.H.; Grande, Terry (2017)."A review of Neogene and Quaternary pikes of southeastern Europe and a new species from the early Pleistocene of Nogaisk, Ukraine".Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.62.doi:10.4202/app.00311.2016.
  8. ^abWilson, Brinkman & Neuman, 1992
  9. ^"Fossilworks:Estesesox".
  10. ^"Fossilworks:Oldmanesox".
  11. ^"Water skier bitten by giant pike".The Guardian.31 August 1999.Retrieved26 July2023.
  12. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 March 2009.Retrieved7 February2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ^"Coping with Deep Hooked Pike | Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain".Archived fromthe originalon 13 September 2013.Retrieved10 October2013.
  14. ^abWaverley Root,Food,1996, p. 353
  15. ^'Piscator', "Pike Fishing",The Sportsman(Second Series),2:3:139(March 1840)
  16. ^Marthe Daudet, Shirley King, translator and adaptor,Pampille's Table: Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside from Marthe Daudet'sLes Bons Plats de France[1934],p. 153
  17. ^"Emelya the Simpleton", russian folklore fairy tale.At the Pike's Behest
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