Thursday, May 08, 2008
Northern Pike and Muskellunge
Northern Pike
muskellunge
The “Muskie” is Canada’s largest freshwater fish, next to the Sturgeon.
The preferred habitat of the muskellunge is warm, heavily vegetated lakes. They can be often found in stumpy, weedy bays. The also flourish in slow vegetated rivers.
(1) Northern has light markings on a dark body background.
Muskies generally have dark markings on a light background.
(2) The difference between pike and muskellunge is to count the pores on the underside of the jaw. The northern has six or fewer; the muskie has six or more.
(3) Northerns also have rounded tail fins, compared to the pointy tail fins of a muskie. Paired fins under the body of the Northern Pike are more rounded to the Muskie, which has slightly more pointed fins. Likewise the tail of the musky has more pointed features when compared to the Northern Pike’s more rounded tail.
(4) Looking at the face the Northern Pike you see scales that are prominent above the cheek, behind the eye and make their way toward the jaw. The Muskie has scales on its face that are primarily above the cheek and behind the eye.
muskellunge
The “Muskie” is Canada’s largest freshwater fish, next to the Sturgeon.The preferred habitat of the muskellunge is warm, heavily vegetated lakes. They can be often found in stumpy, weedy bays. The also flourish in slow vegetated rivers.
(1) Northern has light markings on a dark body background.
Muskies generally have dark markings on a light background.
(2) The difference between pike and muskellunge is to count the pores on the underside of the jaw. The northern has six or fewer; the muskie has six or more.
(3) Northerns also have rounded tail fins, compared to the pointy tail fins of a muskie. Paired fins under the body of the Northern Pike are more rounded to the Muskie, which has slightly more pointed fins. Likewise the tail of the musky has more pointed features when compared to the Northern Pike’s more rounded tail.
(4) Looking at the face the Northern Pike you see scales that are prominent above the cheek, behind the eye and make their way toward the jaw. The Muskie has scales on its face that are primarily above the cheek and behind the eye.
// posted by spadille @ 9:41 PM 
