Northern pike
| Northern pike | |
|---|---|
| Northern pike at Plzeň Zoo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Salmoniformes |
| Family: | Esocidae |
| Genus: | Esox |
| Species: | E. lucius
|
| Binomial name | |
| Esox lucius | |
| Range of northern pike as traditionally defined (including populations now often regarded as separate species: Amur, Aquitanian, and southern pikes) | |
The northern pike (Esox lucius), also known as pickerel, jack, northern or simply pike, is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox (pikes). It is commonly found in fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (i.e. it has a holarctic distribution).
Pike can grow to a relatively large size. Their average length is about 40–55 cm (16–22 in), with maximum recorded lengths of up to 150 cm (59 in) and maximum weights of 28.4 kg (63 lb). The IGFA currently recognises a 25 kg (55 lb) pike caught by Lothar Louis on Greffern Lake, Germany, on 16 October 1986, as the all-tackle world-record holding northern pike. Northern pike grow to larger sizes in Eurasia than in North America, and in coastal Eurasian regions than inland ones.