Northern Pike

Esox lucius or the Northern Pike lives in both salty and freshwater lakes in much of Europe and northern North American. It has large sensory pores on its head and under its lower jaw that allow it to detect movement and vibration in, and the pressure of the surrounding water. This is called the Lateral Line Organ, and has been found in fish from as long as 400 million years ago. While pike typically have a dark, muted green coloration with light spots, the silver pike is a mutation of this species that instead has a light gray coloration wihtout spots, although if the fish becomes ill it gains a more purplish hue. As ambush predators, they prefer environments with shallow, slow moving weedy water, and clear, rocky waters that allow them places to hide and avoid being seen by prey. Being aggresive carnivores with cannabalistic tendencies, these fish have large habitats and will chase after their prey in bursts of speed, called as ambush foraging, which can result in older pike stealing the food of younger pikes.