Esox masquinongy (Muskellunge) Fishes Native Transplant
|
|
Common name: Muskellunge
Synonyms and Other Names: Esox ohiensis Kirtland, 1854; Muskie, Musky
Taxonomy: available through
www.itis.gov
Identification: Muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, are characterized by their elongate, moderately compressed and slightly flattened body. Oblique stripes, spots or blotches overlay the silver colored body, the belly is white in color with small spots. Fins are green or red-brown with dark blotches. The top of the head is unscaled and the snout is long and duckbill-like. The Muskellunge has a large mouth with strong canine teeth in its lower jaw and on the roof of its mouth. Its tongue features short, sharp brush-like teeth (Becker 1983).
Three subspecies are sometimes recognized: Esox masquinongy masquinongy, a spotted form which occurs in the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes and their tributaries; Esox masquinongy immaculatus, a form with either no pattern or barring which occurs in Wisconsin, Minnesota, northwestern Ontario, and southeastern Manitoba; and Esox masquinongy ohioensis, a form with bars or diffuse spots and blotches which occurs in the Ohio River and its tributaries (Becker 1983).
While similar in appearance to the Northern pike (Esox lucius), Muskellunge can often be distinguished from pike based on coloration. Additionally, Muskellunge have 6-9 sensory pores on each side of their lower jaw whereas Northern pike have 5 or less pores. Muskellunge also have relatively pointed tail fins relative to a Northern pike (Minnesota DNR 2017). The hybrid Tiger muskie (Esox masquinongy x lucius) is also present in the Great Lakes region, these grow faster and larger than either of the parent species, are characterized by dark stripes on a lighter background, have 5-6 sensory pores and are otherwise intermediate between the two parents in shape and coloring.
Size: 183 cm.
Native Range: St. Lawrence River-Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins, from Quebec to southeastern Manitoba; south in the Appalachians to Georgia and in the west to Iowa (Page and Burr 1991). Crossman (1978) gave a distribution map. Although never reported from Mississippi, considering the fact that Muskellunge are (or were) native to the main Tennessee River, the species almost certainly historically entered the extreme northeastern part of that state (Gilbert, personal communication).
Nonindigenous Occurrences:
Table 1. States with nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Esox masquinongy are found here.