Blue Pike <I>Stizostedion vitreum glaucum </I>

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Fishes of Ohio - Milton Trautman

Identification

Characters:General and generic -See sauger. Specific See walleye. Subspecific Pelvic fins whitish-blue and body graylsh-blue without brassy or yellow mottlings or overcast. Eyes larger and closer together; the bony interorbital width usually contained 1.4-2.0 times in eye length, fig. D; note arrows pointing to interorbital and eye widths. Maximum length less than 20.0" (50.8cm). Differs: Walleye has yellowish cast and smaller eyes. See walleye and sauger. Most like: Walleye and sauger. Coloration: Dorsally pale bluish-gray. Sides lighter and more silvery-bluish. Ventrally silvery and milk-white. No prominent brassy reflections on body. Between 4-14 dark bands cross back and sides of many individuals; these are most pronounced on small individuals. Pelvic fins transparent in small young; silvery-blue in larger fishes. Dusky blotch distinct on webbing between three last dorsal spines. Dusky spot usually prominent at base of pectoral fin. Tip of lower lobe of caudal and anterior tip of anal fins milk-white. Lengths and weights: Young of year in Oct, 2.0"-5.0" (5. I-13 cm) long. Around 1 year, 3.5"-6.5" (8.9 17 cm). Adults, usually 9.0"-16.0"(23-40.6 cm) long, weight 5 oz-I lb, 8 oz (142 g-0.7 kg). Maximum size unknown because of intergradation with walleye. Many fishermen consider the "Gray Pike" to be the large adult of the blue pike; these "Grays" have a maximum weight of 7 lbs (3.2 kg) and presumably are intergrades because of their intermediate characters. For rate of growth, see Adamstone (1922:80 83). Hybridizes: with sauger (rarely); intergrades formerly abundant between this subspecies and the walleye.

Distribution and Habitat
Ohio Distribution-Until the mid-1950's the blue pike was abundant in Lake Erie and presumably has been present since early postglacial times. Since about 1850 it has been of great economic importance to the fishermen of the eastern two-thirds of the lake. The subspecies appears to be confined to the lake itself, and no typical specimens have been found in the tributaries.

Until recently much confusion existed as to whether the blue pike was a distinct species, or whether it was only a subspecies or variation of the walleye. For several generations commercial fishermen, impressed with its small size, soft flesh and bluish coloration, have considered the blue pike to be a distinct species and the intergrades between the blue pike and walleye, known as the "Gray Pike," were considered to be "jumbos" or "mules" (hybrids) between the two species. Until 1926 many ichthyologists believed that the blue pike of Lake Erie was the same species as the "White Salmon" of the Ohio drainage, and applied Rafinesque's (1818:354 and 1820:65-66; as Perca salmonea) name of salmonea to the Ohio drainage and Lake Erie populations. In 1882 Jordan 0882:962-64) considered the blue pike to be only a "variation" (subspecies) of the walleye but made the mistake of assuming that the Lake Erie and Ohio drainage populations were the same, obviously because in the color-unstable walleye decidedly bluish Ohio drainage specimens are not uncommon. Jordan was further misled by Klippart's (1877B:65-71) incorrect statement, which Jordan quoted, that the blue pike frequented shallow "bayous" whereas the walleye inhabited deeper waters. In 1926 Hubbs (1926:58-59), realizing that the blue pike had not been described technically, named it Stizostedion glaucum (type locality, Lake Erie of Ashtabula, Ohio). Later the blue pike was reduced from specific to subspeciflc rank because of the number of intergrades.

Intergrades-Known as "Gray Pike," these occur occasionally in the commercial catch in rather large numbers. At infrequent intervals intergrades are sometimes numerous in the ice fishery catch about the Bass Islands.

It is difficult or impossible to identify satisfactorily many individuals believed to be intergrades (presumably back crosses) because of their close similarity to either the walleye or blue pike, and because coloration is particularly unstable in the walleye. As related elsewhere, golden individuals lacking bluish chromatophores are not rare, and Ohio drainage specimens lacking yellow are rather common. In addition, occasional bluish Lake Erie specimens of 8 (3.6 kg) or more pounds in weight are noted, which lack yellow and which are not blue pikes because of their large size, eye size, and firm flesh.
Habitat--The blue pike inhabited the deeper and clearer waters of Lake Erie, the largest populations occurring in the eastern two-thirds of the lake. It was less numerous in the shallow waters of the western third, especially during the summer, and was absent or present only as strays in the shallow, turbid waters. There appeared to be an annual movement into the shallower inshore waters and into the western third of the lake, during fall and early winter.
Years 1955 80-This subspecies of walleye has been until recently of great commercial importance since early in the history of the Lake Erie fisheries. For many years prior to its scientific description in 1926, the commercial fishermen had recognized the blue pike as distinct from the walleye.

Smith and Snell (1891:241) reported that the commercial catch for 1885, brought into the ports of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York (exclusive of Canadian ports) was 3,152,400 lbs (1,429,-905 kg). Applegate and Van Meter (1970:14, fig. 4) gave the blue pike annual poundages for all U.S. and Canadian ports between the years 1950 and 1957 as fluctuating between 2,000,000 and 26,000,000 lbs (907,184 and 11,793,402 kg).

In 1959 the fishery collapsed with a total of only 79,000 lbs (35,834 kg). In 1964 wholesale fish dealers reportedly sold less than a total of 200 lbs (90.7 kg). At present some believe that this subspecies may be extinct. None was collected during the intensive investigations in the Cleveland Metropolitan area between 1971 and 1975, and we consider the species to be "probably extirpated" (White et al., 1975:115). For summary of the bluepike 1951-60-see Woner, 1961. In 1970 the committee revising A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes (Bailey et al.:39) accepted the name of blue pike, a name long used by commercial fishermen, for this subspecies. The name blue pike gives two specific names to one species (walleye and blue pike), which is undesirable because it gives no indication of their conspecific relationship and leaves the impression with some that the blue pike is a true pike (Esox).