THE WHITE-TAILED DEER jr. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO 1922 THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY F4bt PIKE PICKEREL AND MUSKALONGE by ALFPJED C WEED Assistant Curator of Tnhes THE LIBRARY nF m SEP 7 1927 UNIVEHSliY ur iti-UMUlS ZOOLOGY LEAFLET 9 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Chicaqo The Zoolog-ical Leaflets of Field Museum are de- voted to brief, non-technical accounts of the history, classification, distribution and life habits of animals, with especial reference to subjects shown in the Museum's exhibits. LIST OF ZOOLOGICAL LEAFLETS ISSUED TO DATE No. 1. The White- tailed Deer $ .10 No. 2. Chicago Winter Birds . .10 No. 3. The Ameraca/i Aljigator 10 No. 4. The Periodifcal Cicadd'^»^">i.i .Iv' 10 No. 5. The Alligator Gar 10 No. 6. The Wild Turkey 10 No. 7. The Man-Eaters of Tsavo 50 No. 8. Mammals of the Chicago Area 25 No. 9. Pike, Pickerel -and Muskalpnge. v .»: ^ 75 D. C. DAVIES, Director FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHICAGO, U. S. A. THE UB^*^Y r.f THE SEP 7 1927 UNIVEHSlfY Of *LlINOIS UJ H 5 a. UJ < Ul UJ O z o < en S z a: u I H a: O T3 U CIS k> ti CI] a S e o til J ,1 1 Field Museum of Natural History DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY Chicago, 1927 Leaflet Number 9 Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge Freshwater anglers have many general points of discussion, not the least of which is the question of the proper names of Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge. There are few questions carrying more possibilities of argu- ment, difference of opinion and general misunder- standing than this. The fish concerned are mostly of large size and have high qualities both as food and game. They belong in two groups, the true Pikes, genus Esox of the pike family, Esocidae ; and the so- called Walleyed Pike and the Saugers, which belong to the perch family, Percidae. The trouble would be quite serious enough if we were only concerned with members of the true pike family, of which there are six species in North Amer- ica. These, using the names considered preferable, are the Chain Pickerel, Trout Pickerel, Pickerel, Northern Muskalonge, St. Lawrence Muskalonge and Chautau- qua Muskalonge. Unfortunately many of the same names have been applied to the walleyes and saugers which are members of the perch family. These are very different in essential points of structure although similar in habits and general appearance. The extent of the difficulty may be imagined from the fact that there are as many as eighty names for one fish and seven fish for one name. In the present paper an attempt is made to solve the difficulty by giving descriptions and pictures of all [ 153 ] 2 Field Museum of Natural History the fishes involved, together with a list of names which have been or are applied to each. The list is, of course, not complete. Nev,^ names are all the time being brought to the author's attention, but it is hoped that it is complete enough so that two fishermen may talk together without having to spend too much time argu- ing about the names of the fish they are discussing. The colored plates are the work of Mr. Leon L. Pray, Fish Taxidermist of Field Museum, and with three exceptions are from his own studies from life. The plate of the St. Lawrence Muskalonge (Plate 3) is adapted from a colored plate prepared by S. A. Kil- bourne and published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1879. The Trout Pickerel (Plate 7, lower figure) is adapted from a specimen mounted by Francis West. The outline of the Chain Pickerel (Plate 5) is from a photograph and the coloring adapted from a colored plate by Mr. Louis Rhead. A large part of the value of this work is due to the assistance of Mr. George P. Engelhardt, Mr. Louis Rhead, the New York State Conservation Commission and the Wisconsin Conservation Commission in fur- nishing many of the specimens used in preparing both the text and the colored plates. Color of the Pikes Few persons have a clear idea of the color of fishes. In our ordinary associations we see few things that have the power of changing color or color pattern at will. The Bobolink is a beautiful black and white bird as he sings over the meadows in early summer. A few weeks later he changes to the streaked brown color of his mate for the journey south. The Snow Bunting when it comes to us in early winter has various shades of buff and tan. When it goes north in early spring it is plain black and white, with no buffy markings at all. There are few [154] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 3 birds or mammals which can produce more complete or sudden changes than these. Lizards have more power over their color and some of the changes have been widely advertised. The power of the Chameleon in this respect has even formed the basis of one of iEsop's fables. In New Orleans as the sun comes out after a sudden shower we may see a bright green lizard crawl off a banana leaf onto a fence. In a few seconds it has changed to the exact color of the wet wood. A little later, when the wood has dried to a silvery gray we may find the lizard still there and still the exact color of the board on which it is sunning itself. It is not at all well known that many, if not most, fishes have greater power over not only their color but even their color pattern than the Chameleon, This is especially true of the fishes that live in rather shallow water and hide among rocks, logs or other objects. Those that live about mud banks or in muddy water do not need this power and usually do not have it. A fish which is showing all its most brilliant colors for the purpose of attracting attention may suddenly meet another a trifle larger and stronger. The smaller one will turn pale even while it is starting to escape. Few fish have greater power of changing color and color pattern with every passing mood or every change in surroundings than the pikes and pickerels. Moving from the shelter of a mass of bright green Myriophyllum to a mass of Potamogeton with the stems and under sides of the leaves red or brown, one of these fishes will change from a pattern of bright green and greenish silver with plain fins to a pattern of bro\\^ls with red fins. Under the Myriophyllum the markings may be very fine, the light and dark streaks less than the width of a scale. Moving to the shelter of a willow bush on the bank, the dark and light bands [155] 4 Field Museum of Natural History may change so that the fish will be almost as coarsely barred as a Yellow Perch. There are a few basic patterns which are fairly constant, but the variations are without number. All young pikes and the adults of several species have a rather regular cross barring as is shown on Plates 1, 2 and 7. This pattern is hardly ever as simple as is shown in the lower figure of Plate 7. That pattern is almost unknown except in the New England region, where the fish commonly live under the shade of bushes which fringe the banks of small streams. Young speci- mens often have a similar pattern, with the cross bars divided by a horizontal light stripe along the middle of each side. A further variation might be to move one set of blotches a short distance so as to produce a checker-board pattern. The blotches in the straight or the checkered pat- tern may split vertically and produce a zigzag pattern or a pattern of much narrower cross bars. In very young specimens, the pattern of the lower figure on Plate 7 may be still farther reduced so as to form blotches, almost square, on the sides. This latter pat- tern is seldom seen in fish more than three to four inches long. A Trout Pickerel, about eight inches long, from Gainesville, Florida, has as well marked a reticulate pattern as is shown for the hybrid pickerel on Plate 6. Another, about eleven inches long, has varied in another direction. The narrow cross stripes shown on the middle figure of Plate 7 are divided again vertically and then spread out until all that is left is a series of fine diagonal lines, parallel with the edges of the scales, forming a network of which each mesh en- closes two or four scales. It should be remembered that all the patterns shown on Plate 7 can be produced at will by any of those fish. The one at the bottom is not often produced in just that form except by the Trout [166] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 5 Pickerel but the individual carrying that pattern could have changed in a fraction of a second to either of the other patterns shown. It could have changed also to a pattern of bright greens or to a combination of dark and silvery greens. Color changes among the members of this group are quite as startling as the changes of pattern al- though they are, perhaps, not quite so common. Any of the fish sho\\ii on Plate 7 could assume the color of any of the others at will. However, the usual color of any of these fish is, probably, more constant than the color pattern. The fish adapts its color to its surround- ings and sticks pretty closely to one locality. A Pick- erel may be found in one place day after day for wxeks at a time. It is very exact in its placing, always headed the same way and always the same distance from a cer- tain stick or tuft of weeds. Thus its eye is in position to watch through the same water lanes. The color of any of this group may vary from al- most plain silvery to a moss green so dark as to be prac- tically black, A\ith all the greens and yellows and some of the reds in between. In all cases, the color and color pattern are so arranged that they give the fish a close resemblance to some natural object nearby. It is usually a stick or log that the fish resembles and the arrangement of light and dark will look like spots of sunlight and shade. The Pickerel lies in wait in rather open places and his spots look like the little specks of sunlight shining on the bottom through the ripples at the surface. The Grass Pickerel hides in the shade of the water plants and his cross bars are like the shad- ows of the long, narrow leaves. When the Northern Muskalonge lurks in an old tree top his cross bars are like the shadows of the dead limbs. The Trout Pickerel usually lives in water stained brown with the leaves of the forest and swamp trees [157] 6 Field Museum of Natural History and plants. Also most of the water plants have brown- ish leaves or stems or both. It arranges its color accordingly. The color of the lower figure of Plate 7 would indicate that the fish was taken in a swampy stream or pond where the water was quite brownish and that the fish usually stayed in the shelter of a tree top or of bushes that hung over the bank. If the same fish had been in the habit of watching for food from the shelter of a mass of bright green water plants with fine leaves, it would have shown about the same color and pattern as the middle figure of Plate 7, or even with finer markings and a brighter green color. The finer markings of the Grass Pickerel show that it is more a creature of the open bay than of the bushy stream. There is no real point of difference by which we can separate the Trout Pickerel of New England from the Grass Pickerel of Lake Ontario. They are found all the way from Maine to Florida, across the Gulf coast to Texas, up the Mississippi to southern Wisconsin and down the Great Lakes to the St. Law- rence. There is a rather regular variation all the way around but no dividing point between one and the other. They can probably be divided into several geo- graphic races or varieties which are well marked enough to receive separate names. The form in the Great Lakes seems to be different from the one in the Ohio River. The one in New England is different from the one in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Florida group is different from either and there will probably be other groups that can be recognized. The differ- ences between any one group and its near neighbors are very slight and can be seen only in the average of a large number of specimens, but the differences be- tween the two ends of the series are very well marked as is seen in the two lower figures of Plate 7. The mid- dle figure of that plate represents a common pattern [158] CM tlJ < a. UJ < UJ o -0 z c o JS -I < ^ CO i5 Z) .^ 5 CO < s 3 ,o O 3 o < H H 3 g < fel I O f» -^■^Iv Ul _• O := Z JS en s 5 I UJ .^ Z. 3. Ill « IE S < H -I o Co I- 1*5 1- UJ < Ul Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 15 The number of rays in the paired fins is not usually counted in this group because it is difficult to do so sat- isfactorily and the final result seems to have little mean- ing. In the dorsal and anal fins, the short rays at the front are not counted. Only those are considered that reach to or nearly to the top of the fin. In practice this usually means that all the branched rays are counted and one or two of those which are jointed but not branched. In some specimens the front of the fin is gradually rounded so that it is hard to tell just where to stop. In such a case, even experts will not always count just the same. There are two rows of scales which are usually counted. The first starts at the upper angle of the gill opening, or just above the pectoral fin in fishes where the gill opening does not extend so high, and follows the course of the "lateral line" to the base of the caudal fin. The other row starts at the front of the dorsal fin and extends diagonally backward to the anal fin. In either case, what is really counted is the number of rows of scales which cross the real or imaginary line which is being followed. In the pikes the lateral line is not often developed as a complete and single line of sense organs but the count is made where the line should be. Teeth and Food Fishes have more tooth-bearing bones in the mouth than any other group of animals. The upper jaw is made up of maxillary and premaxillary. In the pikes, the premaxillary bears a row of small teeth. The max- illary is above and behind the premaxillary and forms most of the upper edge of the mouth opening. The pikes have no teeth on the maxillary and this is the only tooth-bearing bone in this group which is not so armed. In the center of the roof of the mouth just be- hind the premaxillaries is a long patch of teeth on the [167] 16 Field Museum of Natural History vomer. On each side of the vomerine teeth and parallel with the maxillary bone is another patch of teeth on the palatine bones. All these teeth are hinged so that they offer no resistance to anything vi^hich is moving in the direction food is intended to go. When something in- tended for food tries to return, the teeth stand up against it. On each side of the lower jaw is a row of several big, sharp teeth set firmly in the bone. These teeth are shed whenever they become worn or broken and it is this set which is supposed to be shed every summer when the Huskies are said to have "sore mouth" and to be "off their feed." However that may be, a big Northern Muskalonge in aquariums in Chicago has been in the habit of fasting for several weeks every summer. There is a patch of hinged teeth on the base of the tongue of the pickerel and another similar patch on each joint of the gill arches. Behind the gill arches, at the entrance of the throat, is a broken ring of bony pads called "pharyngeal bones." Each of these also has a patch of fine, sharp, hinged teeth. The shape and position of the teeth have a very definite relation to the kind of food a fish eats and to the manner of eating it. Students of evolution may (and do) discuss cause and effect, whether the kind of food determines the character of the teeth, whether the kind of teeth determines the character of the food or whether both are developed together and each deter- mines the other. A large Northern Muskalonge has been in aqua- riums in Chicago for several years. Small fish are eaten so quickly that it is not possible to watch the process, but a carp weighing between one and two pounds is not put out of the way so soon. When first seized, the carp is held across the mouth of the Musky, [168] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 17 pressed between the toothless maxillaries and the strong, solid teeth of the lower jaw. Then the Muska- longe returns to its usual resting place before taking the next step in the process. The fish is turned by a quick movement so that its head points down the throat of the big fellow. Then it is held between the tongue and the patches of teeth on vomer and palatines. In this position there can be very little sideways pressure and the fixed teeth are not needed for holding. The lower jaw is dropped so that the big teeth are out of the way and the prey is moved down the throat by a series of quick gulps until it finally disappears. A small Grass Pickerel in the Lincoln Park aqua- rium had a slightly different method. Perhaps the small Goldfish was larger in proportion, although the relative sizes seemed to be about the same. The Pick- erel was quicker and more positive in its movements. The Muskalonge was slower and more deliberate. The Pickerel seemed to try to catch the fish in the proper position at the beginning. It did not carry it away to a regular resting place. The motion in turning its prey was about the same except that it made two or three attempts before it got the Goldfish in just the right posi- tion. When the position was right, the first gulp took the smaller fish almost out of sight. The most notice- able difference was that the big teeth of the lower jaw were in use as long as there was any part of the Gold- fish that they could grasp, and were released only at the moment of making another swallowing movement. Some large Pickerel swallowed their prey in a similar manner. They seemed to have difficulty in turning their fish and often lost them if not secured in just the proper manner at the first attempt. One or two were swallowed tail first. Others were tried tail first and later rejected. [169 ] 18 Field Museum of Natural History The Groups of Pikes In North America there are three groups of "true pikes," belonging to the genus Esox, which makes up the family Esocidse, as distinguished from the Pike- Fig. 2. Head of Grass Pickerel. CheekB and opercles fully scaled. Perch or Walleyed Pike, belonging to the genus Stizos- tedion, closely related to the European and Asiatic Pike-Perch or Sander, belonging to the genus Lucio- Fig. 3. Head of Pickerel. Cheeks scaled, opercles naked below. perca, both of them belonging to the family Percidse, which also includes the common Perch of Europe and Asia, our common Yellow Perch and the American [ 170 ] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 19 darters. The three pike groups may be conveniently separated by the distribution of the scales on the sides of the head as shown in the diagrams. The first group includes two species, the Chain Pickerel (Esox niger) and the Trout Pickerel or Grass Pickerel (Esox americanus). They are small fish, mostly southern and eastern, which have the cheeks and opercles fully scaled (Fig. 2). None of these fish often reach a weight of more than five pounds and they are generally very much smaller. Along the xA.tlantic Fig. 4. Head of Muskalonge. Cheeks and opercles naked below. coast, in Maine and New Brunswick, they may extend as far as 46° north latitude. They are found from there to Florida, west into Texas, up the Mississippi valley into southern Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan and the lower part of the Great Lakes. The second group includes only one species, the Pickerel,* Esox lucius. This is a larger fish, frequently * It may be worth while to note that the author began this investigation wdth the belief that there was some popular basis for following the lead of professional writers on angling subjects since "Frank Forrester" and calling this fish "Pike" as is done in England and Canada. Careful reading of many sporting maga- zines and much discussion with sportsmen has shown conclu- sively that, in the United States, Esox lucius is known univer- sally as Pickerel and the word Pike, where used alone in ordinary conversation, always or almost always means Walleyed Pike. [m] 20 Field Museum of Natural History weighing more than ten pounds, with the cheeks fully scaled and the lower half of the opercles naked (Fig. 3). This fish is found entirely around the world north of about 40° north latitude. In the third group are found three closely related species: the Northern Muskalonge, St. Lawrence Mus- kalonge and Chautauqua Muskalonge, which have the lower part of the cheeks and opercles naked (Fig. 4). They are still larger fish, a weight of forty-five pounds being not uncommon and there seems to be some reason for believing that occasional specimens weighing more than twice that amount have been taken. Members of this group are found from northern Alabama to James Ba3% east of the Mississippi River. Key to Species of Esox A. Cheeks and opercles fully scaled. B. Size small, seldom over one foot in length or a pound in weight. Scales large, usu- ally less than 115 transverse rows between upper angle of gill opening and base of caudal rays. Dorsal rays 12-17. Anal rays 11-16. Branchiostegals 10-14. americanus p. 21. BB. Size larger, but seldom exceeding two feet in length or three pounds in weight. Scales smaller, usually more than 120 transverse rows between upper angle of gill opening and base of caudal rays. Dor- sal rays 13-17, generally more than 14. Anal rays 13-16. Branchiostegals 12-17, generally more than 13. 7iiger p. 24. AA. Cheeks fully scaled, opercles naked below the level of lower edge of eye. Size large, fre- quently reaching a weight of ten pounds or more. Scales about the same size as in Esox niger, 115-145 transverse series between upper angle of gill opening and base of caudal rays. Dorsal rays 15-20, mostly over 17. Anal rays [ 172 ] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 21 11-17, generally more than 13. Branchiostegal rays 13-16. hiGvas p. 27. AAA. Cheeks and opercles both naked below the level of lower edge of eye. Size large, frequently reaching a weight of thirty pounds or more. Scales small, usually more than 150 transverse rows between upper angle of gill opening and base of caudal rays. Dorsal rays 16-21. Anal rays 14-18. Branchiostegal rays 13-16. C. Preorbital part of head equal to or longer than postorbital. Body heavily marked with dark cross bars. Ohio River and tributaries. ohioensis p. 29. CC. Preorbital part of head shorter than post- orbital. D. Body heavily marked with round, dark spots. Lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence drainage, eastern On- tario, western Quebec, Vermont and northern New York. masquinongy p. 29. DD. Body marked with spots or cross bars or both. Markings usually very faint, stronger on the rear half of body and on tail. Upper Mississippi valley in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Lake of the Woods and northward to James Bay. immaculatus p. 30. LITTLE PICKEREL, TROUT PICKEREL, GRASS PICKEREL, ETC. Esox americanus Gmelin — Plate 7, Middle and Lower Figures. EASTERN UNITED STATES Small fishes, seldom over a foot in length or a pound in weight. Scales large, usually less than 115 transverse rows between upper angle of gill open- ing and base of caudal rays. Cheeks and opercles [173] 22 Field Museum of Natural History fully scaled. Dorsal raj^s 12-17, not counting rudi- ments. Anal rays 11-16, not counting rudi- ments. Branchiostegal rays 10-14. Head variable, rather shorter than in other species. In all species of Esox the length of the postorbital part of the head is fairly constant, approximately 0.14 of the standard length. Variations in the total length of the head seem to be produced almost entirely by changes in the pro- longation of the mouth parts. These changes are ex- treme in the present species. Specimens from the New England states (Esox americanus americanus) may have the postorbital length exceed the preorbital by as much as the length of the eye, while specimens from Lake Ontario (Esox americanus umbrosus) generally have the preorbital and postorbital lengths practically equal. The body and especially the head is usually noticeably deep and robust. The profile of the head in front of the eyes is straight or convex, rarely slightly concave. The color pattern is extremely variable, be- ginning in the young with dark blotches on the sides, varying to cross bands or narrow streaks, which may become irregular in width and direction and finally pro- duce fairly even reticulations or become obsolete. Old specimens in certain locations are frequently almost solid very dark green above with irregular dark spots on the belly. These are often called Black Pike and supposed to belong to a distinct species. Esox americanus is found from somewhere in Maine or New Brunswick southward into Florida, westward into Texas, up the Mississippi valley into southern Wisconsin and down the Great Lakes into western New York. It has been divided into two spe- cies, americanus and vermiculatiis, largely on the sup- position that there was a definite faunal boundary be- tween them somewhere in the southern states. Since this has been shown not to be true and since there are [174] UJ H < X Of IH6 UNIVERSirr QF iiu^^ii Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 39 and are known by the trade name "Yellow Pike," Smaller ones are bluish in general tone and are called "Blue Pike." .. , ,. Another source of much discussion has been the name "Muskalonge." There are at least forty legiti- mate spellings divided into two general groups, those which derive it from Indian words which have been spelled "Mas-kinonge" or "Mas-kenoza," and those which derive it from French words "masque-al- longe." Feeling free to choose any of these spellings we have selected "Muskalonge" because it comes the closest to the way it is generally pronounced, because it is one of the commonly accepted forms, and because it has relatively simple spelling. There are two ways to consider common names of any objects with which people are familiar. One is to hold absolutely to the name first given. That is the way of scientific nomenclature. Some confusion has arisen because we do not always know which was the name first applied but such difficulties are being re- moved as fast as possible and will finally be taken care of by the establishment of a list of accepted scientific names. The other way is to hold that the name of an object is what folks call it. Many writers of books on this group have refused to accept this view and have tried to secure the use of unfamiliar or, even, newly made names. This has rather added to the confusion. Under either interpretation, the name "Pickerel" with- out any qualifying word is not available for the strictly American species with the cheeks and opercles (see p. 13) entirely scaled, because this name is not commonly so used in America and because it was first applied to Esox lucius before anyone in Europe knew that there was such a place as America. The number of common names is a fairly reliable index of the extent to which a fish attracts public at- [191] 40 Field Museum of Natural History tention. It is not necessary that the fish shall be pres- ent in great numbers but only that there shall be some quality which sets it off from others. The Gizzard Shad is present in incredible numbers in all the fresh and brackish water from Minnesota to Texas but it has hardly any name except Shad or Gizzard Shad in all that area. In the same region there is possibly not one fish of the Pikes and Pickerels for every million Gizzard Shad yet this smaller group numbers its names by the dozen, because Shad, no matter how numerous, are only a lot of silvery fish but the Pike or Pickerel, no matter how small, is unusual and must be noticed, if seen. In this article an attempt has been made to bring together all the names that have been used for the pikes, pickerels, muskalonge, Walleyed Pike and saugers. The last must be brought in because about half the names of the group of Walleye and Sauger have the word pike or pickerel included in some way and nine of their names are among the commonest names of the pikes, pickerels or muskalonge. It is evident that this is not the entire list. Careful study would prob- ably show that more than two hundred names have been or are applied to this group of seven or eight fish. The names are grouped in two ways. Under the scien- tific name of each fish is given a list of all the names belonging to that species. Under each common name is given a list of all the species to which it has been given. The following list of names is presented in the be- lief that the name in common use is the correct one, where it is in common use ; that is, where it is part of the language of every one. The man who has been taught all his life that a certain fish is a Pickerel must stop to think, at least a fraction of a second, before he can call it a Pike. If he has a dictionary which tells [192] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 41 him that a man from a certain other place always calls that fish Pike he can translate as the other man talks. For the sake of uniformity it is necessary that the author express his preference in the matter of names for these fish. They are : Esox lucius: Rivers and lakes around the world north of about 40° north latitude; Pickerel, Pike, Jack. Esox masquinongy : Upper St. Lawrence River, lower Great Lakes, rivers and lakes of Ontario and western Quebec ; Muskalonge, St. Lawrence Muska- longe. Esox ohioensis: Ohio River and its tributaries in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (?), West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi (?) , Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia ( ?) ; Chautau- qua Muskalonge, Ohio Muskalonge. Esox immacvlatus : Rivers and lakes of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Mississippi basin and northward to Hudson Bay; Northern Muskalonge, Wisconsin Muskalonge, Unspotted Muskalonge. Esox niger: Rivers and lakes from New Bruns- wick to Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas; Chain Pike, Chain Pickerel. Esox america7ius: Rivers and lakes from Maine to Florida, Texas, Illinois, Michigan and down the Great Lakes to New York ; Trout Pickerel and Long Island Pickerel in the East, Grass Pickerel and Little Pickerel in the West. Stizostedion: Rivers and lakes of North America east of the Great Plains and north of Texas ; WALLEYE, Walleyed Pike, Sauger. There are three species mixed up in this group, but they are so closely allied [193] 42 Field Museum of Natural History that it is practically impossible to separate them. Anglers and fishermen will always call large specimens of both species Walleye and small ones Sauger, without much reference to which species is concerned. List op Scientific Names with Cross References. Esox A few names found in the books and elsewhere clearly belong to this group but can not be referred to any one species. Grass Pickerel ; Mallett's Bay, Vermont. Jackfish; Pond twelve miles north of Houston, Texas. Long Face; Maine, Silver Pike; Northern Michi- gan eastward to Georgian Bay. Tiger Muskalonge; Wiscon- sin (probably usually Esox immaculatus, but occasion- ally surely Esox lucius). Esox americanus Banded Pickerel; Massachu- setts to New Jersey and oc- casionally elsewhere. Ditch Pike; New Jersey. Grass Pickerel; general, es- pecially western. Grass Pike; general, es- pecially western. Humpbacked Pickerel; Wat- erford, Oakland County, Michigan. Jack; North Carolina. Little Pickerel; general. Little Western Pickerel; gen- eral. Long Island Pickerel; south- eastern New York. Mackerel Pike; a book name proposed from southeastern New York but not in use recently. Mountain Trout; Spring Val- ley Creek, Shannon County, Missouri, R. E. Call. Mud Pike; New Jersey. Piccanau; Indian. This name is recorded by Goode in "American Fishes." Ap- parently that author was confused in his identifica- tions and his "Western Pickerel," which is said to reach a weight of twenty pounds in Mississippi, was probably Esox ohioensis. Pickerel; a book name which has wide circulation in lit- erature but which has hardly come into the com- mon speech of fishermen. Pike ; this seems to be a fairly well distributed common name from eastern Mary- land to Florida. Pond Pickerel ; occasional from Maine to southern New York. Pond Pike; reported by G. B. Goode in ''American Fishes" but locality not given. Red-Finned Pike; North Car- olina. Short-Billed Pike; New Jer- sey. Smaller Pickerel; New Eng- land. Trout Pickerel; New Eng- land States and western Pennsylvania. Troutnose Pickerel ; New England (?). Varied Pickerel ; southern New York. [194 1 Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 43 Western Pickerel; general. Western Trout Pickerel ; western Pennsylvania. Yearling Pickerel ; S o d u s Bay, New York. Esox immaculatus Barred Muskalonge; Wiscon- sin. Chauteaugay Lake Pike; This name was mentioned in the "American Angler," vol. 15, p. 17. It is prob- ably a misprint for Chau- tauqua Lake Pike and may refer to Esox ohioensis. Great Northern Pike; north- western Wisconsin. Longe; general. Lunge; general. Muskalonge ; general, see under Esox masquinongy for about forty ways of spelling this name. Musky; general. Northern Muskalonge ; sub- stitute proposed for Un- spotted Muskalonge. Plain Muskalonge; name pro- posed by Becker. Tiger; Wisconsin. Tiger Muskalonge; Wiscon- sin. Tiger Musky; Wisconsin. Unspotted Muskalonge; Wis- consin. Unspotted Pike; Lake Pepin; perhaps used as a descrip- tion rather than a name. Quoted in "American An- gler," vol. 9, p. 387. Wasserwolf; name used by O. W. Smith for all the species of Muskalonge. Wisconsin Muskalonge; Wis- consin. Esox lucius Brocket; France. Canada Pike; Ontario, Can- ada. Channel Pickerel; Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River. Chuk-Whuk; Alaska Indians. Common Pike; general. Duck-Billed Pickerel; Illi- nois-Wisconsin. Duck-Billed Pike; Illinois- Wisconsin. Eithinyoo - Cannooshoeoo; Creek Indians in Canada. English Jackfish; Ontario, Canada. English Pike; Ontario, Can- ada. Grass Pickerel; Illinois. Grass Pike; Western Penn- sylvania (?). Great Lake Pickerel; no lo- cality (Thaddeus Norris). Great Lakes Pike; northern United States. Great Northern Lake Pick- erel; no locality (Thaddeus Norris). Great Northern Pickerel; northern North America. Great Northern Pike; Wis- consin. Great Pike; name proposed by O. W. Smith. Hecht; Germany. Jack; Chicago Fish Markets and parts of Canada where Stizostedion is called Pick- erel. Jackfish; Manitoba. Lake Pickerel ; Northern Ohio. Lake Pike; Western Pennsyl- vania. Luccio; Italy. Marsh Pickerel ; Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River. Luce; England. Northern Lake Pike; No par- ticular locality indicated. [196] 44 Field Museum of Natural History Northern Pike; No particu- lar locality indicated. Pickerel ; northern United States, Canada where Sti- zostedion is not called Pick- erel, England (young fish). Pike ; general in northern United States and Canada where Stizostedion is not called Pike; England (adult fish). In North America it almost always is used as a book name. The angler generally has a local name which he uses unless he is "talking up" to a visitor. Short Pickerel; Thousand Is- lands, St. Lawrence River. Shovelnose Pike; northern Michigan and western On- tario. Silver Pike; northern Mich- igan(?). Slinker; St. Lawrence River region. Snake; Wisconsin. Snake Eater; Cheboygan, Michigan. Wasserwolf; Germany. Yearling Pickerel; Sodus Bay, N. Y. (young). Esox masquinongy Black-Spotted Pike; a name published in sporting mag- azines by General Garrard, perhaps intended more as a description than as a name. Blue Pike; Western Pennsyl- vania (?). Great Pike; general. Kinonge; eastern Canada. Longe; general. Lunge; general. Mascallonge; Mascalonge; Mascalonge Mascanongy; Maskalinge Maskallonge; Maskalonge; Maskalonge ; Maskanonge; Mas-ke-non-ge; Maskenonza; Maskenonzay; Maskenosha ; Maskenozha; Mas-Kinoje; Maskinonge; Maskinonge ; Maskinongy; Maskinonje; Masquallonge; Masque-allonge; Masquenouge ; Masquinongy; Muscalinga; Muscallonge; Muscallunge; Muscalonge; Muscalunge; Muskallonge; Muskallunge; Muskalonge; Muskalunge; Maskalunge ; Muskellonge; Muskellunge ; Muskinlonge; Muskinonge; Musk-ka-lone; Muskullunge ; Musquallonge; Musquellunge ; Noscononge; all these variations of the spelling of this name have been published and have re- ceived more or less recog- nition. Musky; general. [196] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 45 Pike; the use of this name for a Muskalonge is prob- ably entirely obsolete, ex- cept for Esox ohioensis. Spotted Muskalonge; New York. Wasserwolf; name used by O. W. Smith for all species of Muskalonge. Esox niger Black Pike; Dismal Swamp and other regions of black water along the south At- lantic coast states. Chain Pickerel; rather gen- eral, but has little currency outside of books. Chain Pike; mostly a book name of rather wide ap- plication. Common Eastern Pickerel; New Jersey. Duck-Billed Pike ; North Carolina. Eastern Pickerel; New York. Federation Pike; Oneida Lake, New York. Green Pike; Pennsylvania. Jack; North Carolina to Florida. Jackfish; Hawkinsville, Geor- gia. Lake Pickerel; Lake Pike; Pickerel; general. Pike; general. Pond Pickerel; Lake Cham- plain region. Pond Pike; New Jersey. Red-Finned Pike; North Car- olina. Reticulated Pickerel; a book name which never gained much recognition. Esox ohioensis Alleghany River Pike; Alle- ghany River valley. Barred Muskalonge; general. Blue Pike; Wheeling, West Virginia. Brocket saumonne; Ohio. Chautauqua Lake Muska- longe; western New York. Chautauqua Lake Pike; west- ern New York. Chautauqua Muskalonge; western New York. Chautauqua Pike; western New York. Jack; North Carolina. Kentucky Pike; Kentucky River valley. Kentucky River Pike; Ken- tucky River valley. Longe; general. Lunge; general. Mahoning Pike ; western Pennsylvania. Muskingum River Pike ; southeastern Ohio. Musky; general. Ohio Muskalonge; general. Ohio Pike(?). Ohio River Pike; southern Ohio. Picanau Blanc; Ohio. Piccanau; Ohio. Picareau Blanc; Missouri. Pickerel; western New York. Pike; Ohio River valley. Salmon Pike; Missouri. Wasserwolf; a name applied by O. W. Smith to all spe- cies of Muskalonge. White Jack; Missouri. White Pickerel; Missouri. White Pickerel of the West; Ohio. White Pike; Missouri. Stizostedion Common names of this group are so confused that no attempt has been jnade to [197] 46 Field Museum of Natural History separate names belonging only to the Saugers from those belonging only to the Walleye. It is probable that practically all the names are applied to either. Blowfish; Mississippi Valley Blue Pickerel; Ontario, Can- ada. Blue Pike; general. Brook Trout; North Caro- lina. California Salmon ; North Carolina. Champlain Pike; Schroon Lake, New York. Common Pike; Great Lakes. Dore; Canada. Doree; Canada. Dory; Canada. Glass-Eye; Great Lakes re- gion. Golden Perch; name given in the "American Angler," vol. 4, p. 357, apparently as a description rather than as a true name. Golden Trout; North Caro- lina. Grass Pike; Great Lakes re- gion. Gray Perch; Eastern Canada. Gray Pike; New York to Ohio. Gray Pike Perch; New York. Green Pike; Great Lakes re- gion. Ground Pike; Lake Cham- plain. Ground Pike Perch; Ver- mont. Hornfish; Fur traders of British Columbia. Horse-Eye Pickerel; Eastern, Canada. Horse-Fish; Great Lakes re- gion. Jack; Ohio Valley and west- ern North Carolina. Jack Salmon; Ohio valley. Ohio Pike; Ohio. Ohio Salmon; Ohio River valley. Okow; Cree Indians. Perch Pike; Eastern States. Picarel; French Canadians. Pickerel; Eastern Canada. Pickering; Great Lakes re- gion. Pike; general. Pike Perch; Eastern States. River Trout; North Carolina. Rock Pike; St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Salmon; Susquehanna River; Kentucky River; Tennes- see River. Saltwater Pike ; Pasquotank River, North Carolina. Sand Pickerel; Eastern Can- ada. Sand Pike; general. Sauger; general. Sanger Pike; Spike Nose; Cape Vincent; New York. Susquehanna Salmon; Penn- sylvania. Walleye; general. Walleyed Pike; accepted as a common name in western New York; generally com- mon as a book name. White Perch ; Vermont. White Salmon ; Ohio Valley, Yellow Pickerel ; generally common among market fishermen. Yellow Pike; generally com- mon among market fisher- men. Yellow Pike Perch; New York. [198] V '^ t£ -^ ^ u it ^ V « ■§ ^ O o c^^t^ c#» ec =k; .-3 or -i- -^ c/> Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 47 List of Common Names with Cross References. Allegheny River Pike Esox ohioensis. Banded Pickerel Esox americanus. Barred Muskalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox ohioensis. Black Pike Esox niger, Black Spotted Pike Esox masquinongy. Blowfish Stizostedion. Blue Pickerel Stizostedion. Blue Pike Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis, Stizostedion. Brochet Esox lucius. Brochet saumonne Esox ohioensis. Brook Trout Stizostedion. California Salmon Stizostedion. Canada Pike Esox lucius. Chain Pickerel Esox niger. Chain Pike Esox niger. Channel Pickerel Esox lucius. Champlain Pike Stizostedio7i. Chateaugay Lake Pike Esox immaculatus, prob- ably a misprint for Chau- tauqua Lake Pike. Chautauqua Lake Muskalonge Esox ohioensis. Chautauqua Lake Pike Esox ohioensis. Chautauqua Muskalonge Esox ohioensis. Chautauqua Pike Esox ohioensis. Chuk-Wuk Esox lucius. Common Eastern Pickerel Esox niger. Common Pike Esox lucius. Stizostedion. Ditch Pike Esox americanus. Dore Stizostedion. Doree Stizostedion. Dory Stizostedion. Duck-!^illed Pickerel Esox^ucius, Esox-niger. Duck-Billed Pike Esox lumus, Esox. masquinongy. Eastern Pickerel Esox niger. Eithinyoo-Cannooshoeoo Esox lucius English Jackfish Esox lucius. English Pike Esox lucius. Federation Pike Esox niger. Glass-Eye Stizostedion. Golden Trout Stizostedioji. Grass Pickerel Esox, Esox lucius. Grass Pike Esox americanus, Esox lucius, Stizostedion. Gray Perch Stizostedion. Gray Pike Stizostedion. [199] 48 Field Museum of Natural HistoFwY Gray Pike Perch Stizostedio7i. Great Lake Pickerel Esox lucius. Great Lakes Pike Esox lucius. Great Northern Lake Pick- erel Esox lucius. Great Northern Pickerel Esox lucius. Great Northern Pike Esox immaculatus, Esox lucius. Great Pike Esox lucius, Esox masquinongy. Green Pike Esox niger. Stizostedion. Ground Pike Stizostedion. Ground Pike Perch Stizostedion. Hecht Esox lucius. Hornfish Stizostedion. Horse-Eye Pickerel Stizostedion. Horse Fish Stizostedion. Hump-Back Pickerel Esox americanus. Jack Esox americanus, Esox lucius, Esox niger. Esox ohioensis, Stizostedion. Jackfish Esox, Esox lucius, Esox niger. Jack Salmon Stizostedion. Kentucky River Pike Esox ohioensis. Kentucky Pike Esox ohioensis. Kinonge Esox masquinongy. Lake Pickerel Esox lucius, Esox niger(?). Lake Pike Esox lucius, Esox niger(?). Little Pickerel Esox americanus. Little Western Pickerel Esox americamis. Longe Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Long-Face Esox. Long Island Pickerel Esox americanus. Luccio Esox lucius. Luce Esox lucius. Lunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mackerel Pike Esox americanus. Mahoning Pike Esox ohioensis. Marsh Pickerel Esox lucius. Mascallonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mascalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mascalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mascanongy Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. [200] Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 49 Maskalinge Esox immaculatus. Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioerisis. Maskallonge Esox iynmaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskanonge Esox imm^aculattis, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mas-ke-non-ge Esox immaculatiis, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskenonza Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskenonzay Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskenosha Esox immactilatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskenozha Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskinoje Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskinonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskinonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskinongy Esox immac7ilatits, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Maskinonje Esox hnmac^datus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Masquallonge Esox im.m.aculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Masque-allonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Masquenouge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Masquinongy Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Mountain Trout Esox americanus. Mud Pike Esox americanus. Muscalinga Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muscallonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muscallunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquino7igy , Esox ohioensis. Muscalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muscalunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskallonge Esox immaculatiis, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. [201] 50 Field Museum of Natural History Muskallunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskalonge Esox immaculatus, Esox m,asquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskalunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskalunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskellonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskellunge Esox im.m.aculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskingum River Pike Esox ohioensis. Muskinlonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskinonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Musk-ka-lone Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Musky Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Muskullunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Musquallonge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Musquellunge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Northern Lake Pike Esox lucius. Northern Muskalonge Esox iniTnaculatus. Northern Pike Esox lucius. Noscononge Esox immaculatus, Esox masquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Ohio Muskalonge £■800; ohioensis. Ohio Pike Esox ohioensis ( ? ) , Stizostedion. Ohio River Pike Esox ohioensis. Ohio Salmon Stizostedion. Okow Stizostedion. Perch Pike Stizostedion. Picanau Blanc Esox ohioensis. Picareau Blanc Esox ohioensis. Picarel Stizostedion. Piccanau Esox ohioensis ( ? ) , Esox americanus. Pickerel Esox americanus, Esox lucius, Esox niger, Esox ohioensis, Stizostedion. Pickering Stizostedion. Pike Esox americanus, Esox lucius, Esox masquinongy, Esox niger. Esox ohioensis, Stizostedion. Pike Perch Stizostedion. [202 1 Pike, Pickerel and Muskalonge 51 Plain Muskalonge Esox immaculaUis. Pond Pickerel Esox americanns{1) , Esox niger. Pond Pike Esox americanus, Esox niger. Red-Finned Pike Esox americanus, Esox niger. Reticulated Pickerel Esox niger. River Trout Stizostedion. Rock Pike Stizostedion. Salmon Stizostedion. Salmon Pike Esox ohioensis. Saltwater Pike Stizostedion. Sand Pickerel Stizostedion. Sand Pike Stizostedion. Sauger Stizostedion. Sauger Pike Stizostedion. Short-Billed Pike Esox americanus. Short Pickerel Esox lucius. Short Pike Esox lucius. Shovelnose Pike Esox lucius. Silver Pike Esox lucius. Slinker Esox lucius. Smaller Pickerel Esox americanus. Snake Esox lucius. Snake Eater Esox lucius. Spike Nose Stizostedion. Spotted Muskalonge Esox 'rnasquinongy. Susquehanna Salmon Stizostedion. Tiger Esox. Esox immaculatus. Tiger Muskalonge Esox, Esox immaculatus. Tiger Musky Esox immaculatus. Trout Pickerel Esox americanus Troutnose Pickerel Esox americanus. Unspotted Muskalonge Esox immaculatus. Unspotted Pike Esox immaculatus. Varied Pickerel Esox americamis. Wasserwolf Esox immaculatus, Esox lucius, Esox rnasquinongy, Esox ohioensis. Western Pickerel Esox americanus. Western Trout Pickerel Esox americanus. White Jack Esox ohioensis. White Perch Esox ohioensis. White Pickerel Esox ohioensis. White Pickerel of the West Esox ohioensis. White Pike Esox ohioensis. White Salmon Esox ohioensis. Wisconsin Muskalonge Esox iynmaculatus. [203 J 52 Field Museum of Natural History Yearling Pickerel Yellow Pike Esox lucius, Stizostedion. Esox americanus. ,^ ,, -,., _ , Yellow Pike Perch Yellow Pickerel Stizostedion. Esox niger. Stizostedion. Alfred C. Weed, Assistaiit Curator of Fishes. [204 1 00 LLl H < 0. UJ < UJ ipi Q LLl > Ul -I o 132 oc ^ oc ^ «- oo «_ 13 -LJ o» JNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBAfjA 3 0112 037878243