When does a pike change its teeth?

How many teeth does a pike have?

Beginning fishermen often ask the question: “What is the pike’s body covered with?”
Such questions arise due to the fact that the entire body is covered with a very dense layer of small scales, which in turn are covered with mucus. The toothy body shape is cylindrical, elongated with a large flattened head, partially covered with scales in the area of ​​the cheeks and gill formations. The lower jaw is strongly set forward with powerful, sharp teeth.

Body color

The body color of a pike greatly depends on its habitat. The back is dark, closer to black. The sides are much lighter with small olive-colored spots that form stripes, allowing the predator to perfectly camouflage itself in grass and snags. Pike living in the depths have a darker body color than fish living in shallow water. The toothy predator is capable of changing the color of its body depending on the objects around it. The color change occurs over a large period of its life, so it is not appropriate to compare it with a flounder or a chameleon.

Scales

Pike scales cover the entire body of the fish, from the gill covers to the tip of its tail. Not large, very dense scales are covered with abundant mucus.

Dorsal fins

The dorsal fin of the pike is located closer to the tail above the anus. The color of the dorsal fin depends on the habitat of the fish and is mostly gray-green, and sometimes brown-orange.

Pectoral and anal fins

The pectoral fins are brightly colored in red-orange tones, less often in gray-green. The anal fins are the same color, but have brown spots.

Head and teeth

The pike's head is elongated with a strongly protruding lower jaw. The pike's teeth on the lower jaw have the shape of fangs and are of different sizes; this structure allows the predator to easily capture prey. The upper jaw is strewn with small, very sharp, razor-like teeth directed inside the head, which minimizes the victim’s chances of breaking free.

In the lower jaw of the pike, next to the fangs, there are replacement teeth, usually 2-3. If the main canines break or wear out, replacement teeth take their place, and the old teeth that have lost their functionality die and fall out. This is the period of life when the pike changes its teeth.

Due to the uneven change of teeth, the pike’s mouth simultaneously contains replacement teeth, working fangs and dying old teeth.

Does pike change teeth?

Wednesday, January 30, 2021 21:31 + to quote book

You can often hear from fishermen: there is no bite - the pike changes its teeth. The change of teeth supposedly lasts one to two weeks, during which time the pike does not feed, since it cannot grab and hold prey.

Can such an explanation be considered correct and should it be taken into account? This question prompted the author to try to find out: 1) does the pike change its teeth and how does this process proceed? 2) is it true that during the change of teeth the pike does not feed, and therefore does not grab the bait?

L.P. Sabaneev in the book “Fishes of Russia” (on p. 306) describes the change of teeth in pike as follows: “Large prey manages to escape from the mouth of a predator when its teeth change; the old ones fall off and are replaced by new, still soft ones. This curious phenomenon usually occurs in May; at this time, pike, catching relatively large fish, often only spoil it, but due to weak teeth they cannot hold it, which is why the bait on the girders is often only dented and not even bitten to the point of bleeding, which is well known to every fisherman.” Further on page 320, the author states that “pike change their teeth not once a year, precisely in May, but every month during the new moon: at this time, its teeth begin to loosen, often become stained and deprive it of the ability to attack.”

The pike's mouth is lined with hundreds of teeth located on the jaws, palate and tongue. The pike's teeth are not a chewing apparatus; their location and structure guarantee the pike only perfect retention of captured prey and swallowing it.

lower jaw of a pike Observing the change of teeth in a pike is very difficult; This is especially true for small teeth standing on the front of the lower and upper jaws. It is even more difficult to establish the replacement of small teeth on the palate and tongue. These teeth are so numerous and so densely packed that they resemble four toothbrushes. Each of the “brushes” consists of several rows of homogeneous, small, white-shiny, very sharp and durable teeth with curved tips. Three “brushes” run along the palate at a short distance from one another, the fourth (smaller) is on the tongue. The structure of these teeth is such that if you run your fingers along them towards the pharynx, they bend, and from the pharynx they rise and stick their points into the fingers.

The teeth standing on the front of the lower and upper jaws are motionless, their tips are curved inside the mouth. It is relatively convenient to observe only the fang-shaped teeth of the pike, standing on the sides of the lower jaw (Fig. 1, a). During the period from 1939 to 1967, I was able to examine the lower jaw teeth of 639 pikes, whose weight ranged from 0.5 to 8.4 kg. These pikes were caught at different times of the year, with different gear and in different reservoirs of the Moscow, Kalinin, Yaroslavl, Smolensk regions, Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. According to the time of inspection (for all years), they were distributed as follows: in January - 35 pieces were inspected, in February - 22, in March - 32, in April - 23, in May - 55, in June - 33, in July - 40, in August - 52, in September - 106 , October – 178, November – 28, December – 35.

Types of pike

Today, ichthyologists distinguish five varieties of pike. On the territory of our continent there are two species - northern pike, or also called common pike, and Amur pike.

The remaining three species live in America.

Northern (common) pike (Esox lucius) lives in the waters of northern Europe, Asia and America.

The Amur pike (E. reicherti) lives only in the vicinity of the Amur and on Sakhalin.

Species living on the territory of mainland America are the musky (E. masquinongy), striped (E. niger) and redfin (E. americanus). The latter is common only in the eastern part of North America.

Musking, northern and Amur pike prefer reservoirs with standing water, so their habitat is mainly lakes, ponds, and bays. When their body length reaches 5 cm, these predators switch to feeding on small fish and various crustaceans. These species are characterized by rapid growth, reaching more than 80 cm in length. They begin to lay eggs at 4-5 years of age when they reach a length of 30 cm or more.

The diet of striped pike consists mostly of invertebrates. They live in the bays of large rivers and deep lakes.

Northern (common) pike (Esox lucius)

Length up to 180 cm, weight up to 45 kg (usually up to 1 m and 8 kg). Age up to 20 years.

Amur pike (E. reicherti)

Length up to 110 cm, weight up to 16 kg. Age up to 15 years.

Musking pike (E. masquinongy)

Length up to 180 cm, weight up to 45 kg. Age up to 20 years.

Striped pike (E. niger)

Length up to 75 cm, weight up to 4 kg. Age up to 15 years.

Redfin pike (E. americanus)

Length up to 30-40 cm, weight up to 500 grams. Age up to 10 years.

In nature, it is not uncommon to catch albino pikes:

Albino pike

General description of pike:

The body of the pike is like a torpedo with a flattened muzzle, the lower jaw of which protrudes forward. The teeth located on the lower jaw are of different sizes and are not evenly distributed; they serve only to capture the victim. In the upper jaw, almost inside the pharynx, there are small, razor-sharp teeth. These teeth are angled toward the inside of the pike and can move down or up to hold prey.

The habitat of the toothy predator determines its external color, which can vary from gray-green to silver.

The sides of pike are dotted with spots of different colors and can form stripes. It is not uncommon to catch pike of different colors in two neighboring bodies of water. Northern pike can reach up to 1.5 meters in length and weigh up to 35 kilograms, but such specimens are extremely rare, and history knows of only a few such cases. Most of the pike caught by amateur anglers are up to 10 kilograms in size and no more than a meter in length.

The food supply in combination with the reservoir where the pike lives has a strong influence on the size of the fish. Males, unlike females, rarely grow more than 5 kg, but all trophy pike specimens are female. In order for a pike to reach trophy size, several components are necessary:

• large and accessible food supply;
• good climatic and environmental conditions for growth.

Over many years of studying pike, ichthyologists from Sweden have concluded that no more than 2% of females will be able to reach a weight of 5 kilograms. In males, everything is much sadder: only 0.7% reach two kilogram sizes.

Types of pike with photos and descriptions

Currently, there are 7 species of pike known to represent this genus. Their differences are related to the conditions in which they live, their appearance and other features. For example:

Common pike

This is the typical and most common representative of this family. This species is found in most freshwater bodies of Eurasia and North America. Its favorite habitats are water areas with thickets of aquatic vegetation located closer to the coastline.

Redfin or American pike

Its habitat is the eastern regions of North America. The variety is represented by two subspecies: northern red pike and southern (grass) pike. Representatives of these subspecies do not grow more than half a meter in length and do not gain weight more than 1 kg. This subspecies is distinguished by a slightly shortened mouth. At the same time, the fins do not have an orange coloring, as is typical for the common pike.

Musk Pike

This is the largest, and at the same time the rarest representative of this family. The Indians dubbed this predator the “ugly pike.” This predator also has a second name – “giant pike”, which is associated with its enormous size. Adults reach a length of 2 meters, while gaining weight up to 35 kg. Depending on the living conditions, the predator may have a silver, brown-brown or green tint. There may be either spots or vertical stripes on the side surface of the pike.

Striped or black pike

It can grow up to 0.6 meters in length and weigh about 2 kg, although there is information that a pike of this species weighing 4 kg was caught. In appearance, the striped pike resembles the northern pike. At the same time, it is characterized by a pattern in the form of a mosaic located on the sides of the predator. In addition, she has a dark, characteristic stripe above her eyes.

Amur pike

This type of predator is distinguished by the fact that it is somewhat smaller in size compared to the common pike. Individual individuals can grow to a length of slightly more than 1 meter, weighing no more than 20 kg. Its peculiarity is its small scales, which have a silvery or golden-greenish tint. The color of the Amur pike's scales is more reminiscent of the taimen, as it has numerous black-brown spots randomly scattered throughout the body, starting from the head and ending with the tail.

Several years ago, another species was isolated - the Italian pike, which was previously considered a common pike.

On the territory of France, just 4 years ago, a species of pike was identified as the Aquitaine pike. The species is not so well known, as it was described quite recently.

Interesting fact!

Hybrid specimens cannot reproduce in natural conditions, so an independent population of these individuals does not exist.

How do pikes change teeth?

The question of the change of teeth in pike and the influence of this process on fishing success has long been of interest to amateur fishermen. Many fishermen explain an unsuccessful hunt for pike by the lack of pike biting due to the periodic change of its teeth, which lasts one to two weeks. During this, she supposedly does not feed, since she cannot grab and hold prey. Only after the pike’s teeth grow and become stronger again does it begin to catch and catch well.

Let's try to answer the questions:

1. How does the process of changing teeth proceed in pike?
2. Is it true that during the change of teeth the pike does not feed, and therefore does not have enough bait?

There is no reliable information on these issues in the textbooks of ichthyology, fishing, fishing and sports literature, and the statements that are encountered are not supported by any substantiated data.

Usually the authors refer to the stories of fishermen or, most often, to the book by L.P. Sabaneev “Fishes of Russia”. This book says: Large prey manages to escape from the mouth of a predator when its teeth change: the old ones fall off and are replaced by new, still soft ones... At this time, pikes, catching relatively large fish, often only spoil them, but are unable to hold them due to weak teeth maybe, which is why the bait on the girders is often only crushed and not even bitten to the point of bleeding, which is well known to every fisherman. Sabaneev further says that the pike replaces its teeth not once a year, precisely in May, but every month during the new moon: at this time its teeth begin to loosen, often become stained and deprive it of the ability to attack.

It should be noted that observing the change of teeth in a pike is very difficult, especially observing the small teeth located on the front of the lower and upper jaws. It is even more difficult to establish the replacement of small teeth in the palate and teeth on the tongue. Only the fang-shaped teeth of the pike, located on the sides of the lower jaw, are accessible to relatively free observation.

Observations give reason to assume that the change of teeth in the lower jaw in a pike occurs as follows: a tooth (fang), which has stood for the required period of time, becomes dull and yellowed, dies, lags behind the jaw, is separated from the surrounding tissue and falls out. One of the new teeth appears in its place or next to it.

New teeth are strengthened in a new place, coming out from under the tissue located on the jaw, on its inside. The emerging tooth first takes an arbitrary position, tilting its tip (top) most often into the oral cavity.

The new tooth is held on the jaw only by compressing it with a tubercle of the surrounding tissue, as a result of which, when pressing on it with a finger, it freely deviates in any direction. Then the tooth gradually strengthens, and a small layer (similar to cartilage) forms between it and the jaw. When pressing on the tooth, some resistance is already felt: the tooth, slightly pressed to the side, returns to its original position if the pressure is stopped. After a certain period of time, the base of the tooth thickens, becoming covered with an additional mass (similar to bone), which, growing on the base of the tooth and under it, tightly and firmly connects it to the jaw. After this, the tooth no longer deviates when pressed to the side.

How does hair loss occur?

After the fang has performed its function for a long time, it begins to gradually fade or become yellow. The channels through which nutrients were supplied to it slowly atrophy, and it remains isolated. Within a few weeks it dies, its attachment to the jaw dissolves, it becomes mobile, and then falls out.

The same thing happens with damaged, but not yet old, pike fangs that have lost their sharp upper edge. Without a point, they cannot properly perform the gripping function, so they become unnecessary and fall out. This process is painless, bloodless and unnoticed by the fish.

Pike - appearance, habitats, nutrition, varieties, spawning + 86 photos

When you mention the word pike, the memory of the fairy tale “At the Pike’s Command” instantly comes to mind, but in fact, the pike is far from a fairy-tale creature, but a real predatory fish.

Pay attention to the photo of the pike. This predator belongs to the ray-finned fish of the pike family, of the genus of the same name.

It is not known for certain where this name came from. Linguists believe that it comes from the word “frail”, judging by the outlines of the thin, elongated body.

According to the second option, it is believed that pike comes from the common Slavic word “skeu”, which means “to kill, cut.”

Appearance of a predator

The body length of a pike, by average standards, reaches 1 m and weighs 8.0 kg. There are exceptions in the form of giants 1.8 m long and weighing about 35.0 kg; females are always larger than males.

The pike's body is oblong and arrow-shaped. The head is long, the muzzle is narrow with the lower jaw extended forward. The oral cavity has structural features, which is why it is called a river shark.

On the lower jaw there are sharp teeth in the form of fangs of various sizes, which reliably capture prey. The upper jaw and other bones of the oral cavity are equipped with small teeth with points directed into the fish.

Having captured prey, brush-like teeth descend into the mucous mouths and prevent the prey from returning back to freedom.

The bones of the lower jaw are covered with epithelium of loose consistency; rows of 2-4 replacement teeth grow inside it. In place of the damaged working tooth, a soft replacement tooth appears, which over time grows to the jaw and becomes ossified.

The so-called change of teeth occurs. On the lower jaw, the teeth change completely unevenly. As a result, at the same time, in the mouth of the pike there are strong working fangs, mobile young and old, almost destroyed.

The pike's eyes are set high, and it can see far around it without turning its head. The lateral line of the predator is an organ of touch that instantly senses any small vibrations.

Hidden in ambush, pike can wait for prey for a long time, standing motionless in thickets of vegetation. Having chosen a victim, it suddenly attacks it and swallows it from the head.

The entire body of the pike, cheeks and gills are covered with small scales. The color of the scales can be gray-green, gray-yellow or gray-brown depending on the environment and habitat. A darker color is characteristic of individuals living at depth.

The back of the pike is dark, the belly is white, possibly with gray spots. On the sides there are noticeable olive-colored spots merging into stripes. There are fins on the body: pectoral, ventral, unpaired (dorsal and anal).

Pike of different sexes have different urogenital openings: males have a narrow, oblong slit, females have a pink oval cavity.

The life cycle of pike is 10-30 years, depending on the species and habitat.

Body Shape

Pike has a long, streamlined and elongated body; it looks like a torpedo; thanks to this shape, the fish is capable of developing enormous speed in a matter of seconds. The head is greatly elongated, pointed at the end, the lower jaw protrudes forward. The fins on the body are located along the spine closer to the tail also to increase the speed of the fish. All fins are well developed and have a rounded shape. The predator has distinctive features, so it cannot be confused with other fish.

The body of the predator is covered with small, tight-fitting scales, which protect it from the sharp teeth of relatives and other predators. This is one of the largest fish in our latitudes, it can reach 2 meters; only catfish are larger than it.

Coloring

The color of the pike fish is camouflage; on the body, everywhere except the belly, there is a camouflage pattern in the form of spots. This pattern of scales allows the fish to remain unnoticed in its habitat; it hides especially well in places with abundant vegetation and among snags.

The color of the fish depends on many factors: the age of the fish, food, landscape, etc. - so it’s difficult to say exactly what color the pike is. Young pike have a lighter color; the older the individual, the darker the body color. In closed ponds with vegetation and a high content of silt, the color is darker than that of individuals of the same age living in flowing reservoirs.

Most of the fish of this species are gray-green in color with spots or stripes of olive color. The back is darker than the belly, the belly is yellowish or grayish in color, with small specks of gray. The fins have a gray tint with pronounced stripes of light colors. A species of red-finned pike lives in North America.

The appearance of the predator makes it invisible in its habitat.

What class does it belong to?

The pike is a representative of the animal kingdom, the chordate type, the class of ray-finned fish, the pike family, the order Pike-shaped, the genus pike.

Representatives of the ray-finned class, which includes pike, are the most common species of modern fish. They differ from other classes in the structure of their fins. All representatives of the pike order are freshwater predators.

Mouth, vision, sense organs

The shape of the head is flattened and wedge-shaped, it is no coincidence that it gives the fish an additional area for viewing and allows you to accurately determine the speed of movement and the distance to all surrounding objects. The eyes are set high, which allows you to see everything above you, on the sides and slightly below. The lower viewing angle is blocked by the wide jaw of the fish, so if the prey is close, but at a lower level, the predator will not see it.

If you want to catch pike with bait, do not cast your fishing rods close to the bottom. "

Pike in water also hears very well, thanks to this sense it can easily find prey even in muddy water. Even if the predator completely loses its sight, it will be able to survive and feed itself.

The mouth of the pike fish is elongated, similar to the jaws of a crocodile. Due to the special structure of the gill membranes, it can open very wide and capture particularly large prey. The predator is the only one among freshwater fish that is capable of swallowing prey 2/3 the size of its length.

Teeth and their replacement

The predator has about 3 thousand large and sharp teeth in its mouth, and several thousand small ones that resemble a brush. On the sides of the jaw of the pike fish there are fangs, they are long and sharp, and white in color. Inside the base they are empty, firmly connected to the jaw by a hard bone mass of a different shade. The pike also has many very small teeth in its mouth; they form brushes. They are located along the palate and on the tongue; if you stroke these brushes with your hand towards the throat, the teeth will bend, and in the opposite direction they will begin to dig into the skin. This was done in order to prevent the caught prey from escaping.

The pike's teeth are not chewing teeth; their purpose is to hold the prey in the mouth and prevent it from escaping; the predator swallows its prey whole. With its sharp teeth, it can easily cut a tied fishing line or net.

Pike teeth also have an interesting feature - they change throughout their life. It is difficult to obtain reliable information for what reasons and when this happens, and it is also not known whether small teeth change, since this process is difficult to control. But ichthyologists have established how large teeth—canines—are renewed.

First, the old tooth changes color, dies and falls off the connective tissue. A new one grows in its place or close to it. At first, only protruding parts of tissue hold it in the mouth, and when you press a finger on a “young” tooth, it easily changes its inclination; if you find such a “soft tooth”, this is a sign that it is a “young” tooth. Over time, tissue similar to cartilage forms around it, and later it becomes similar to bone tissue. It holds the teeth tightly in the jaw, and it is no longer possible to move it with a finger.

Most fishermen believe the information that the pike changes its teeth once and during the full moon, at which time it stops hunting and because of this fishing is impossible. But this is not so, ichthyologists have accurately determined that teeth are renewed all year round and they are replaced gradually. However, it has not yet been possible to establish the reason why teeth begin to change; this question remains open.

Internal structure

Like all bony fish, pike has a respiratory, circulatory, nervous and digestive system; pike has a well-developed spine and skeleton.

The respiratory system consists of gill slits - this is the respiratory organ. On the gill arches there are special plates with an abundance of capillaries, through which oxygen enters the fish’s body from the water. The circulatory system is closed and consists of the 1st circle of blood circulation. The nervous system includes the brain and spinal cord. There are also special nerve points on the fish’s body (not far from the eyes and along the lateral line of the body), with their help it can feel movements, even the most silent ones.

Like all fish, pike has a swim bladder, with its help it can swim freely at different depths. When environmental pressure changes, the fish fills the bladder with gases from the surrounding water and from its own body.

A feature of the internal structure of pike fish is the intestine, like that of all predators, it is short. Its ratio to body length is only 1:1.25 Because of this length, it has to eat often and hunt a lot; it is no coincidence that the fish is called voracious.

When does a pike change its teeth? Interesting facts about pikes

Every fisherman, without any exceptions, considers pike an enviable catch, in no way inferior to catfish, which is not surprising, because this fish is quite smart, strong, agile and is actually a thunderstorm for other inhabitants of the reservoir in which it has settled.

But, in addition to the fact that pike is a rather dangerous and cunning underwater predator, it is also interesting in a number of ways. For example, few people know whether this fish’s teeth change and how exactly this happens. After all, pikes are predators, which means they can’t do without teeth, but what happens if a fish damages its fangs?

Do pike teeth change? Who's saying what?

When does a pike change its teeth? Autumn or spring? Or does she not change them at all? There are quite a lot of opinions on this matter. From a scientific point of view, this process occurs throughout the year, as needed. But the opinions of fishermen regarding the change of pike teeth are not so clear.

Some who like to sit with a fishing rod claim that in the last spring month the pike changes its teeth, and it is for this reason that it is practically not caught during this period. Others are convinced that the process of changing fangs occurs in winter. Some fishermen believe that the period when pike changes its teeth lasts from late autumn to mid-spring.

What do scientists think? How does teeth change?

Unlike amateur fishermen, scientists adhere to a single version on the question of when a pike changes its teeth. She does this throughout her life and year-round, as the need arises.

Replacing an old or damaged tooth with a new one is quite interesting. First, of course, the one that has fallen into disrepair falls out. In its place, a soft fang grows, looking not like bone, but like cartilage. This process bends in all directions, but hardens over time. It is not clear at what angle the tooth will be positioned until calcification begins.

How many teeth does a pike have in its mouth? How are they located?

Of course, it is interesting not only whether the pike changes its teeth, but also how many of them are in the mouth of the underwater predator. Even scientists do not have an exact answer to the question about their number in this fish. Pike grows throughout its life, and at the same time the number of fangs, which are deadly for many inhabitants of reservoirs, increases.

Their location at first glance seems chaotic. The teeth of a predator grow completely differently from those of a human. They are literally everywhere. The mouth of an adult fish is riddled with large and small, razor-sharp and ground-down fangs. They grow on the roof of the mouth, cheeks, tongue, and even at the beginning of the throat.

The lower teeth are larger, more substantial and sharper. But there are many more of them on the upper jaw. The canines that grow in the “main” rows from above are more often damaged and worn out. Accordingly, when a pike changes its teeth, it usually begins this process with them.

Peculiarities

There are five species of pike: common pike, Amur pike, musky pike, striped pike and redfin pike. All of them are predators with a characteristic structure of the dental apparatus. Their teeth are located not only on the lower and upper jaws, but also on the tongue, on the cheeks, and on the upper part of the pharynx. They literally cover the entire surface of the mouth.

It is very difficult for ichthyologists to study the exact number and order of tooth replacement in pike. In terms of quantity, the difficulty stems from the fact that it changes throughout life. The older the pike gets, the larger its oral cavity grows, in which the area for teeth increases. Therefore, the maximum amount is observed in old specimens. It has been established that on average one fish has more than three hundred fangs. The pike does not have chewing teeth, since it does not chew food, but only captures and swallows it. For this reason, it has two types of fangs: for capturing and holding the victim.

The heaviest load falls on the lower jaw: this is where the largest teeth necessary for gripping are located. They wear out much more intensively than the others, so the change occurs right here - on the lower jaw. This phenomenon was not found in other parts of the oral cavity. The remaining teeth are much smaller in size, they are quite thin, oriented towards the pharynx, so the prey can only move inward, without being able to escape. Small fangs on the cheeks and tongue can be completely immersed in the mucous layer, moving out only when necessary.

What does a predator eat? Curious cases

This predator loves to eat, and she eats everything she sees. In the minds of most people who are far from the hobby of fishing, fishing should hunt smaller inhabitants of water bodies. However, this is not at all true.

Cases have been described in which pikes grabbed ducks from the surface of the water. During molting, birds cannot take off, which is what predatory inhabitants of the depths take advantage of. In villages they say that large fish can snatch laundry from your hands when rinsing.

But the basis of the diet of predators is, of course, not waterfowl, and certainly not pillowcases and sheets. Pike prey on other fish. They have no special preferences. Relatives can also be victims or prey, especially if they are smaller and weaker. Many people are sure that when a pike changes its teeth, it does not hunt and is not caught. This is not true at all. The predator does not lose all her “killing weapons” at once. The change comes gradually. Accordingly, the fish searches for prey and gets hooked.

What do pikes look like? How big do they grow?

The average size of fish that are usually caught is not particularly impressive. They rarely exceed a meter in length and weigh about eight kilograms. But these are not at all the maximum indicators for the height and body weight of predators.

In the middle climatic zone of our country, pike can grow up to one and a half meters and weigh thirty-five kilograms. However, fishermen also talk about larger specimens.

The appearance of the fish depends on where it lives. Usually the color is in gray tones, but the main color can be different:

The back of pikes is always darker and brighter than the sides. Females are distinguished by the fact that their urogenital opening has an oblong shape, and its sides are usually pinkish.

What else is interesting? Curious facts

Having learned how often a pike changes its teeth, they are usually interested in other nuances of the life of underwater predators.

Pike is not only a predatory fish, but also an omnipresent fish. It lives in all corners of the planet, in both hemispheres. Lives in fresh water, but can swim in not particularly salty water. This predator grows throughout its entire life. In the first year, the fish reaches a length of 60-70 centimeters. In subsequent months, the growth rate decreases, no more than 3 cm is added annually.

Frogs, small animals, and birds can easily become lunch for an underwater predator. During hunting, pikes do not develop high speed and are not prone to long pursuits of prey. They are cunning and treacherous. They prefer to attack from an ambush, making a lightning-fast throw. Fish hide in accumulations of algae, among snags or stones, trying to merge with the landscape. But this does not mean at all that predators are not able to catch up with dinner floating away from their mouths. If the pike is hungry and has no choice, the fish is quite capable of long pursuit.

Predators do not like warm water. They easily endure winter and often become prey for fishermen during the cold months of the year. For this reason, none of the seven species of these underwater predators known to scientists can be found in the tropics or on the equator. Of course, you won't find them in the lowlands. In high-altitude icy rivers, fish feel very comfortable.

During spawning, a female can lay about 250 eggs. The hatched fry very quickly reaches five centimeters in length and almost from birth displays aggressive hunting habits. The caviar itself is poisonous. It is not fatal, but quite capable of causing severe intestinal upset. However, after salting or smoking, all toxic elements disintegrate and only useful ones remain.

Pike meat is a dietary product. It contains virtually no components that are not fully absorbed by the human body, and contains almost all important microelements and vitamins. Pike meat can also be eaten by those who carefully monitor their weight. The fat content in this product is extremely low, it does not exceed 3%. The remaining 97% are vitamins and various microelements. However, the taste of underwater predator meat is quite specific, so not all people like dishes made from it.

How long do pikes live, when do they change their teeth and much more about them?

Pike is a desirable catch for any angler. This is a strong and beautiful fish that is found in almost all Russian reservoirs. Catching this predator is very exciting, it fills you with excitement and pushes the fisherman to new trips into nature for large prey. So, what kind of fish is this, what is its benefit and what size can it reach?

Description

The predator belongs to the class of chordates, the order of ray-finned animals. Further, the classification rests on the order of pike-like, the family of pike and, finally, the genus of pike. The average length of the fish is 1 meter and weighs 8 kilograms. Such parameters indicate an elongated body with an elongated arrow-shaped shape.

The head is the same - it is long and narrow, and the lower jaw noticeably protrudes forward. This anatomical feature makes it possible to more effectively hold prey in the mouth.

For such an unusual head structure, the predator is sometimes called a river “shark,” although there is nothing in common between these species.

The coloring of pike largely depends on its habitat. Namely, the colors of the underwater vegetation among which the fish live. The main color is gray, but it is complemented by other shades:

• yellowish;
• greenish;
• brown.

Moreover, in all cases, the sides of the fish are decorated with brownish spots arranged in transverse stripes. The color of the fins varies depending on the pairing. Unpaired fins are yellowish, paired fins are orange.

Interesting! In some stagnant reservoirs there are pike with a silvery coloration. This is doubly surprising, since in such lakes the algae have a dark tint, which means that the bright color of the pike is uncharacteristic.

What does a pike look like? Photo

Pike habits

This fish is a born hunter and killer. Even fry, barely reaching one and a half centimeters in length, successfully hunt the larvae of other inhabitants of the reservoir, including quite large ones.

When the puppy reaches 5 centimeters, it completely switches to a fish “diet”. This lifestyle forces the hunter to behave relatively secretly.

She very rarely attacks her prey head-on, preferring to attack from an ambush.

In this regard, the pike becomes tied to certain areas of the bottom and coastline. In these places, she usually has proven “bedding” places, next to which there is a large amount of potential food. Typically this is:

• large accumulation of algae;
• underwater rocks;
• driftwood;
• sunken objects, such as boats.

At the same time, opinions differ about the nature of the pike’s attack on prey. Some authors of fishing books claim that the fish is incapable of long-term pursuit of prey, preferring short throws from ambush. But as practice shows, the predator often “gets excited” and pursues its dinner over quite long distances. Interestingly, the length of the chase distance is significantly reduced in poor lighting conditions, for example, on cloudy days.

Interesting! Pike changes habitats depending on the behavior of its prey. If in warm months and during the spawning of other fish it is often found near the shore in shallow water, then with the advent of cold weather the predator moves to deeper places.

What does pike eat?

The huntress eats everything and everyone. Among the most popular victims:

• crucian carp;
• perches;
• bream (small);
• minnows;
• roach;
• rudd

The opinion that pike do not eat ruffs because of their spines is a misconception. She eats them for her sweet soul. Moreover, large predators willingly eat their relatives, and not always those that are smaller in size.

Interesting! L.P. Sabaneev in his book described cases when large pikes ate poultry, small animals and completely inedible objects. For example, they snatched linen from the hands of women rinsing it on the shore. There are also reliably known cases of attacks by large pikes on people, especially children.

Why is pike useful?

The benefits of a predator can be divided into two directions:

• for nature;
• for a person.

This fish closes the food chain in many bodies of water. Moreover, like many other hunters, pike prefers to hunt weakened and sick fish. This clears rivers and lakes of “ballast”, which spreads infections and brings virtually no benefit to the biosphere. In addition, pike in some cases willingly eat carrion and debris at the bottom of reservoirs.

The benefit of pike for humans lies in its nutritional value. This fish is suitable for dietary nutrition, since its meat contains no more than 3% fat. Pike is also rich in vitamins of all groups, and all microelements have balanced proportions. It is known that carnivore dishes help strengthen the immune system and have an antiseptic effect on the body.

Interesting! Some peoples do not eat pike at all because of its specific taste. For others, it has become a national dish, for example, in Jewish cuisine, stuffed predator occupies an important place.

How long do pikes live and maximum weight?

How fast does pike grow? Pike, like any other fish, grows throughout its life. Moreover, how much a pike grows in a year largely depends on the amount of food in the reservoir.

In the rivers of central Russia, its age rarely exceeds 25 years, but in large reservoirs, for example, in the Volga, you can meet predators that have crossed the century mark. L.P. Sabaneev talked about the pike of Friedrich Barbarossa, which reached an age of about 250 years and weighed several centners, which is the maximum size of a pike.

But this is an exception due to the complete safety of the habitat and the abundance of food in the German lake. By the way, you can determine the age of a pike by cutting the head - rings are deposited on the bones of the skull, much like on trees.

A meter of pike body length corresponds to approximately 7 kilograms of weight. Finnish researchers came to these conclusions after conducting a series of experiments. Moreover, to achieve such parameters it took the fish about 5 years and complete safety of the environment. Under natural conditions, fish over 5 kilograms are quite rare. Moreover, males are smaller than females - even 2-kilogram “men” are quite rare.

Interesting! Pike grows only in the warm season. In winter and late autumn, weight gain practically stops.

Murder weapon

What is the main thing for any predator? That's right, speed, teeth and claws. Fortunately, the fish is not endowed with claws, otherwise even people would be in trouble, but the aquatic predator has plenty of teeth.

It is interesting that they are located not only on the jaws, but also on other surfaces that are uncharacteristic of other species - the tongue, cheeks and even the upper part of the throat. The teeth on the lower jaw are larger and are rarely located in one row.

The teeth on the palate are small and directed inward towards the pharynx. This structure of the oral cavity allows you to securely hold prey without the risk of losing it.

When does a pike change its teeth? They change throughout the life of the fish. Moreover, some of them are very durable, they practically do not wear out and do not fall out. Others are very small and fragile - they are often damaged and lost.

We can say that the “set” of large fangs of the average pike is updated only 2-3 times, and the small ones change almost annually.

The speed of pike in water not during hunting is relatively low - no more than 20 km/h. But during the throw, it accelerates to 100 kilometers per hour in a second. Immediately after this, the speed drops to the usual “cruising” speed - no more than 30-40 km/h.

Interesting! If a working tooth loses its functionality, then a soft and mobile replacement organ first grows in its place, which over time firmly grows into the jaw.

Bony pike or not?

This fish has a fairly developed skeleton, but there are few large bones in it. But on the awns (small bony corners that grow into thin threads) the pike is very rich. Moreover, the older the fish, the less concern they cause to eaters - if the pike’s weight exceeds 4 kg, then the spines grow together into cartilage, which is easily removed from the meat.

Because of this feature, chefs recommend that people who find it difficult to choose small bones from meat should cook food from minced pike. Its taste and beneficial properties are not very different from whole fish, but still the aroma is somewhat lost, and it is difficult to prepare fragrant fish soup from such a product.

Interesting! Before cooking, it is recommended to remove the spine and large ribs from the pike. This approach will eliminate the need to deal with bones while eating. Small awns along the ridge do not cause any particular problems if the fish has been processed at high temperatures.

Are there fish similar to pike?

There are no direct analogues of the usual pike in our reservoirs. The closest “relative”, if you can call it that, is the barracuda. But the fish lives in the seas and oceans, so it does not directly compete with pike. In their native rivers and lakes they are closest to our predator in habits and size:

• zander;
• bersh;
• asp;
• large perches.

The latter prefer to stay in schools, which is not typical for pike. In distant Siberian rivers there is a direct competitor for pike in the food chain - taimen. This is a large and strong fish that lives and hunts much like a pike. In their natural habitat, these predators practically do not overlap - sooner or later one species completely exterminates the other.

How to distinguish a male pike from a female

The main difference is the size. Given the same age and living conditions, females are always larger than males. Sometimes this difference exceeds a twofold level. But if there are few fish in the reservoir and it is impossible to compare several individuals, then you will have to be content with external signs:

• males have an elongated slit-like urogenital opening (its color is similar to the uterine coloration);
• females have a depression in place of the urogenital opening, surrounded by a pink ridge.

In terms of taste, males and females are practically no different, except that the meat of the older “ladies” will be somewhat tougher, which with proper heat treatment is reduced to nothing. The real practical benefits of these differences can only be useful when trying to breed a predator in an artificial environment.

Pike is a true legend. Every fisherman, going to the shore of a reservoir, secretly hopes to get this coveted trophy. The predator is capable of growing to enormous sizes, but this happens quite rarely. Females are much larger than males, and they are able to survive in the most difficult conditions - if only there was enough food. Happy fishing!

Useful video

5 interesting facts about pike in the video below:

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