Introduction
Every year, about 50% of northern pike that are distributed at the beginning of the year, end up getting caught according to the Wisconsin DNR. And even more so with chain pickerel, as the chain pickerel population has been growing across the eastern U.S., so has the question; what’s the difference between a pickerel and a pike?
Frequently anglers catch a long sized freshwater fish, with a duck-bill shaped head, fang-like teeth, and a large mouth. This occurrence is common for individuals who have interests in fishing, and often cannot tell the difference between the two, especially the beginner anglers who found themselves in these situations.
Northern pike (Esox lucius), and chain pickerel (Esox niger) are both considered invasive in the northeastern U.S. because its presence and behavior causes native wildlife populations to decrease.
Comparison
First thing to acknowledge when comparing the two is the scientific name: Esox lucius (pike), and Esox niger (pickerel). The Esox genus suggests the fish species are from the same family. This family is referred to as Esocidae.
Both species also have very similar bodily characteristics, these alike features are: ● Long, duck-like shaped head
● Sharp teeth with a large mouth
● Long and slender in shape
● Fins are in similar locations
Contrast
Since both pickerel and pike are from the same family and have similar characteristics stated previously, it's often difficult for people to find the distinctive difference between a chain pickerel and northern pike.
From a visual standpoint, one of the most distinctive characteristics between the two are a dark suborbital line directly below the eye of a chain pickerel, whereas a northern pike does not have an obvious dark line feature.
In addition to that aspect, another difference between the two fish are the colors. The chain pickerel have bright yellow scales, whereas the northern pike have a darker yellow color with red fins.
The chain pickerel also has a very interesting color pattern, as the chain pickerel contains darker links across the long body of pickerels that are very similar to a chain. That attribute is believed to be how they got the name “chain pickerel”. In difference, the northern pike have spots lined across the body.
Conclusion
After analyzing the similarities and differences, we now understand ways regular people can determine the differential features between the two beautiful species of similar fish. This impact goes a long way biologically as these species are invasive and many native biologists and outdoors men and women take measures to eliminate invasive species due to the detriment they cause on native land and water. Sometimes, without understanding the visual difference, people can make incorrect decisions which can harm ecological environments.
Resources
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Mitochondrial-DNA-cleavage-phenotypes-of-chain-pickerel Esox-niger-northern-pike-E_fig3_274490769
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/725784/
https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/fisheries/species-information/northern-pike.html https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/sites/default/files/topic/Fishing/LM_NorthernPike.pdf http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/cek7/nyfish/Esocidae/esocidae.html
https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/fishing/profiles/chain-pickerel.html
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