CLASSIFICATION OF ESOX LUCIUS (PIKE)
Phylum :- CHORDATA (Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA (Cranium with brain present).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA (Jaws and paired appendages present).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES (Bony fishes).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII (Ray finned fish).
SUPER ORDER :- HOLOSTEI (Bony ganoids).
Order :- HAPLOMI (Fins with soft rays. Pelvic fin abdominal. Air bladder communicates with pharynx).
FAMILY :- ESOCIDAE
GENUS :- Esox
SPECIES :- lucius
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Esox is abundantly found in Europe, Northern Asia and U.S.A.-Arkansas and Minnesota eastward and Eurasia. Jurassic to Recent. The fossils are known as early as the Oligocene in Europe.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Esox is a marine fish, carnivorous, predacious and noted for their voracity.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF ESOX LUCIUS (PIKE)
- Commonly called as pike, measures 3 meters in length and weight 45 kgs.
- Body elongated, divided into head, trunk and tail. Head produced into snout. Head contains eye nostril and mouth.
- Mouth large and margin of upper jaw formed by premaxillaries and toothless maxillaries.
- Branchiostegal rays 10 to 20; nasal present; vertebrae 43 to 67. (5) Supra-occipital is in contact with the frontals.
- Opercular bone is well developed. Infra-orbital canal with eight or more pores.
- Single dorsal fin and anal fins near tail end. Tail contains caudal fin.
- Pectoral fins inserted very low pelvic fins between pectoral and anal fins.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Pyloric caeca absent. These slender bodied fishes are with large mouths and conspicuous teeth. Some forms grow upto 2.5 m and over 50 kg forming choice game fish.
IDENTIFICATION
- This fish has far back dorsal and anal fins and above features, hence it is Esox.
