Muskies
large sport-fish of the pike family. Fun to fish, and good to eat!
Esox masquinogy is one of the two species of true pike found in Canada and North America. They are fresh-water ambush predators, and a favourite of sport-fishermen.
Muskies, or Muskellunge, are big North American pike. They are the largest of the family, which has only one genus, Esox . Muskies (Esox masquinongy) are often found alongside the Northern Pike, which is thought to be the same species as the European Pike Esox lucius). These two will occasionally interbreed forming ‘Tiger Muskellunge’, which are sterile, and like many hybrids they grow very fast . They are often used for stocking purposes.
Muskies are found in many parts of Canada and North America, and are so popular with sport fishermen (and women) that they even have their own organisation and many websites for fishing enthusiasts.
Muskies like warm lakes and slow rivers where they hide in weed or behind submerged tree trunks. The adults are ambush predators, dashing out from their hiding-place to catch other fish, frogs and the occasional crayfish, while the young feed on zooplankton until they are large enough to tackle small fish.
Muskies can get very big, upto 7 foot long and weighing 60 pounds. There are tales of large pike taking ducks and even swimming dogs, but I’m not sure I believe the dog bit! They will certainly go for small swimming birds, and have even been known to rush onto the bank to dispatch small rodents.
Since all pike are carnivorous it seems only right that we, in turn, should eat them! (here are some good muskie recipes) In Poland northern pike is one of the traditional dishes served at the Christmas Eve meal - the ‘Wigilia’ (pronounced Veegeeleear).
The origin of the name ‘muskellunge’ is interesting. The Original maashkinoozhe, meaning ‘similar to a pike’ comes from two Algonquin words maazh and kinoozhe, and French-speaking colonists then corrupted this to masque allongé (long mask), and this has now become ‘muskie’!
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