21 Mart 2013 Perşembe

Wisconsin State Fish

Wisconsin State Fish

Muskellunge (common name)
Esox masquinongy (scientific name)

Overview

The muskellunge looks and behaves like a huge northern pike. It has an elongated body, a flat head, and its fins are set far back in its body. Muskellunge are light silver, brown, or green in color with dark vertical stripes or spots on the sides and white bellies. Females are longer and heavier than males. "Muskies" are highly prized by Midwestern anglers for their massive size, the difficulty of catching them, and their fighting ability. To feed, they lurk behind shaded spots or in weed beds and then explode forward to grab passing prey, which they then swallow whole. The muskellunge was designated the official fish of Wisconsin in 1955.

Close-up

STATUS
Official
PHYSICAL DETAILS
Length: Up to 59 in (150 cm); average of 36 in (90 cm)
Weight: Up to 69.6 lbs (32 kg); average of 10 lbs (4.4 kg)
LIFESPAN
Up to 30 years
HABITAT
Clear, deep lakes and large, slow-moving rivers along weed edges, sand bars, or rock outcroppings. In summer, muskies have both a shallow habitat and a deeper one.
Range: The Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada from Manitoba and North Dakota in the west to Ontario and upstate New York in the east.
Water type: Freshwater
Water temp: 33-78°F (0-23°C)
Conservation Status: Least concern
DIET
Fish (including other muskellunge), frogs, crayfish, and occasionally young mice, shrews, muskrats, and ducklings.
REPRODUCTION
Fertilization: External
Spawning frequency: Mid-April to mid-June
Mating behavior: Distinct pairing
Egg laying: The female will swim along the shoreline with one or two males following nearby. The eggs are scattered at random over weedy lake or river bottoms and fertilized by the male(s). Adults do not guard the eggs or young.
USES
Sport fish
OTHER NAMES
Muskie, lunge, maskinonge, great pike, leopard muskellunge
TRIVIA
  • The legislative effort to choose the muskellunge as the Wisconsin state fish started in 1939, was attempted again in 1941, and finally succeeded in 1955.
  • Muskies eat a lot of fish that contain small amounts of toxins like PCBs, pesticides, and mercury; these accumulate in their body tissue, making them dangerous to eat.

Click to enlarge an image
State Fish
Illustration of Muskellunge
State Fish
Close-up of Muskellunge
State Fish
Muskellunge in Natural Habitat
State Fish
Huge Muskellunge Cruising for Food

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Subclass:Neopterygii
Order:Esociformes
Family:Esocidae
Genus:Esox
Species:E. masquinongy
Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Author: World Trade Press

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