PIKE, freshwater fishes generally distributed over the rivers and lakes of Europe, northern Asia, and North America, and forming a small family (Esocidae) of Soft-rayed Fishes. They are readily recognized by their elongate compressed body covered with small scales, a long head, long and spatulate snout, and very large mouth armed with strong and long teeth in the jaws and broad bands of smaller teeth on the palate and tongue. The teeth point backwards or can be depressed so as to offer no obstruction to any object entering the gape, but prevent its withdrawal in the opposite direction. The dorsal and anal fins are placed far back on the tail, thus greatly increasing the propelling power of the fish, and, although pike are bad swimmers and lead rather a sedentary than a roving life, they are excelled by no other freshwater fish in rapidity of motion when, by a single stroke of the tail, they dash upon their prey or dart out of reach of danger. In the Old World one species only is known (Esox lucius), which prefers lakes and sluggish reaches of rivers to strong currents or agitated waters. Its eastward range in northern Asia is not known; it extends into Lapland in the north and into central Italy and the vicinity of Constantinople in the south, but is absent in the Iberian Peninsula. The European species occurs also in North America, and is common in the eastern United States southwards to northern Ohio. But North America is tenanted by other species of pike besides, of which the largest is the Muskelunge or Maskinonge of the Great Lakes (Esox nobilior) ; it commonly attains to the large size which is exceptionally recorded of Esox lucius. The other American pike are of smaller size, and generally named “Pickerel”; but opinions as to the distinction of the species ...

PIKE-PERCH(Lucioperca), freshwater fishes closely allied to the perch, but with strong canine teeth standing between the smaller teeth of the jaws and palate. As indicated by the name, these fishes show some slight resemblance to the pike in their elongate body and head, and like that fish they are most dangerous enemies to other freshwater fishes. Their acclimatization therefore in waters intended for the culture of valuable food fishes is not advisable, though they compensate in some measure for their destructiveness by the excellent flavour of their flesh. In Europe two species occur, the more celebrated being the “Zander” of North Germany or “Schiel” of the Danube (Lucioperca sandra); strange to say, it is absent in the system of the Rhine. It prefers the quiet waters of large rivers and clear deep lakes, in which it reaches a weight of twenty-five or thirty pounds; it does not thrive in small and confined waters. The second European species (Lucioperca wolgensis) is limited to rivers in southern Russia and Hungary. In North America several pike-perches have been described, but in the most recent works only two are distinguished, viz., Lucioperca americana, which grows to a weight of twenty pounds, and the much smaller Lucioperca canadensis; both are abundant in the Canadian lakes and upper Mississippi, and the latter also in the Ohio.