1. The Ecology Of Northern Pike

This chapter discusses the ecology of northern pike including variability, habitat, reproduction, feeding, and other behaviors. The pike’s relatively low genetic variability compared to other fish stems from low effective population sizes and population bottlenecks, which can be traced back to earlier glacial periods when the geographic range of pike was limited. Northern pike can tolerate a broad range of environmental conditions but thrive in moderately productive mesotrophic to eutrophic freshwater lakes and rivers. With regard to gender and reproduction, the sex of northern pike can be identified accurately via the external appearance of their urogenital areas, where eggs and milt are expelled.