Fish facts #9 - Jeremy Wade feat. The Muskie [Video]

Muskie is a "legendary" pike which grows huge sizes and it's one of the most aggressive freshwater fishes. Ruthless territorial predator which stalks for it's preys hour by hour and when it's getting really hungry finally go for little bit more active hunting especially in stormy weather when bait fishes are confused by waves and strong water current. Great fishing target for a lot of anglers because of it's spectacular attacks and jumps when it's hooked. Extremely territorial fish which doesn't even tolerate representatives of it's own species (cannibal). Huge jaws are able swallow targets half-size (or more) of it's owner.

Before you will see the video a short information about this fish.

The Muskie (Musky) or Muskellunge (Latin: Esox masquinongy, Mitchill, 1824)

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Order: Esociformes (Pikes and mudminnows)

Family: Esocidae (Pikes)

Genus: Esox

Species: E. masquinongy

Distribution

North America: Native to St. Lawrence River - Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins. Introduced elsewhere in the USA. Native populations are protected in portions of Tennessee and Ohio.

Size / Weight

Max length : 183 cm;

common length : 95.0 cm;

max. published weight: 31.8 kg;

max. reported age: 30 years;

Environment

Freshwater; demersal; non-migratory;

Temperature: 8 - 24 °C;

53°N - 30°N

Short description

Muskellunge like other Esocidaes (northern pike and american pickerel) is close to their appearance and behavior. Typical ambush predator with flat head and dynamic shape of body. Muskellunge average size is 28–48 inches (71–122 cm) long and weigh 15–36 lb (6.8–16.3 kg), biggest ones can rich 6 ft (1.8 m) and almost 70 lb (32 kg). Its colors are light silver, brown, or green, with dark vertical stripes on the flank, with possible breaks up into spots. To distinguish muskie from northern pike there is simple method to count their sensory pores on the underside of the mandible. Muskie has 7 or more on each side and northern pike has maximum 6 of the pores.

Biology

Lives in clear vegetated lakes, quiet pools and backwaters of creeks and small to large rivers. Solitary, lurking hunter on other fishes as well as on ducklings, muskrats, and snakes. Oviparous, spawn in spring as the ice melts.

Supporting source: http://www.fishbase.org

Video