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Dieren en planten

Fish   Salmon family   Pike   Smelt   Salmon   Fish biology   Fish communities   Reproduction of fish   Freshwater fish   
  • Dut: Snoek (mossnoek)
  • Lat: Esox lucius
  • Eng: Pike
  • Fre: Brochet
  • Ger: Hecht
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Pike, from www.sportviszone.nl

Pike

An adult female pike can grow to more than 1.40 meters long. Males only grow to 85 centimeters. Pike is a true predator fish, which hunts less through sight than is often assumed. It tracks its prey primarily using its side-line system, a separate nervous system appearing as a line along its flanks. It lies dead still in the water and snaps at prey that happen to pass by. The greatest enemy of the young pike (pickerels) are its own larger species. Therefore, pickerels hide among the growth until they are large enough not to be eaten by other pike.

  • Characteristics

    Pickerels up to three centimeters eat small crustaceans such as seed shrimp (Ostracod), water fleas and copepods. Pike larger than ten centimeters eat mostly other fish and vertebrates such as frogs. Although pike are not fussy eaters, they tend to avoid fish with spines such as perch and sticklebacks.

  • Distribution and habitat

    The pike is a species of stationary or slow-moving water. It spawns in shallow water with lots of plants, such as charales, pondweed or whorled leaf water milfoil. The larvae attach themselves to aquatic plants with a special suction-like nose.
    Pike is found through the Netherlands. Worldwide, it is found in Europe (Northern Scandinavia to south of the Alps in Italy), in Asia and North America.
    In the 1960s, pike were badly affected by eutrophication. In addition, pike populations declined in the Netherlands between 1950 and 1970 due to loss of spawning grounds. Nevertheless, pike is still one of the most common fish. Large pike will never be great in number since this fish is at the top of the food chain. Fishermen are required to release pike under 45 centimeters in length.

  • Characteristics

    Pickerels up to three centimeters eat small crustaceans such as seed shrimp (Ostracod), water fleas and copepods. Pike larger than ten centimeters eat mostly other fish and vertebrates such as frogs. Although pike are not fussy eaters, they tend to avoid fish with spines such as perch and sticklebacks.

  • Distribution and habitat

    The pike is a species of stationary or slow-moving water. It spawns in shallow water with lots of plants, such as charales, pondweed or whorled leaf water milfoil. The larvae attach themselves to aquatic plants with a special suction-like nose.
    Pike is found through the Netherlands. Worldwide, it is found in Europe (Northern Scandinavia to south of the Alps in Italy), in Asia and North America.
    In the 1960s, pike were badly affected by eutrophication. In addition, pike populations declined in the Netherlands between 1950 and 1970 due to loss of spawning grounds. Nevertheless, pike is still one of the most common fish. Large pike will never be great in number since this fish is at the top of the food chain. Fishermen are required to release pike under 45 centimeters in length.