Pike - (Esox Lucius)
With Its Elongated Shape, Camouflaged Colouring & A Flattened Head Full Of Razor Sharp Teeth The Pike Is The Lochs Top Resident Predator. The Pike Lives A Solitary Life, Hiding In Weeds And Reeds Waiting To Pounce On Any Fish That Gets A Wee Bit Too Close. Because Their Fins Are Set Towards The Tail, The Pike Is Capable Of Sudden Bursts Of Lightning Speed, Which It Uses To Propel Itself Onto Its Prey. Once The Prey Has Been Caught It Has Very Little Chance Of Escaping Due To The Fact The Pikes Teeth Are Angled Backwards. The Pike Simply Manoeuvres The Fish Around Before Swallowing It Headfirst. Pike Can Be Cannibals And, Due To A Flexible Jaw, Can Swallow Fish Up To Half Their Own Size. Young Pike Are Called 'Jack' Pike And Are Under 12lbs in Weight. Jack Pike Are Quite Active And Tend To Hijack Their Pray. Bigger Pike Become More Lethargic And Tend To Scavage For Dead Or Injured Fish. In This Way Pike Can Be Useful For Cutting Down Disease In A Fishery. Most Big Fish Are Females With The Males Usually Not Reaching Over 12lbs. Pike Can Live For 25yrs, And In Loch Lomond, Large Specimens Are Caught Regularly. The Head Of A Pike Was Found On The Banks Of The Loch Near The River Endrick. When Investigated The Endrick Pike Was Estimated To Be Around 70lbs In Weight. |