Every fisherman, without any exceptions, considers pike an enviable prey that is in no way inferior to catfish, which is not surprising, because this fish is smart enough, strong, agile and in fact is a thunderstorm for other inhabitants of the reservoir in which it settled.
But, besides the fact that the pike is a rather dangerous and cunning underwater predator, it is also interesting for a number of features. For example, few people know if this fish's teeth change and how exactly this happens. After all, pikes are predators, which means they cannot do without teeth, but what happens if a fish damages its fangs?
Do pike teeth change? Who says what?
When do pike change teeth? Autumn or spring? Or does she not change them at all? There are a lot of opinions on this matter. From a scientific point of view, this process occurs throughout the year, as needed. But the opinions of fishermen about the change of pike teeth are not so unambiguous.
Some lovers of sitting with a fishing rod claim that inThe last spring month changes the teeth of the pike, and it is for this reason that it is practically not caught during this period. Others are convinced that the process of changing fangs occurs in winter. Some fishermen believe that the period when pike changes teeth lasts from late autumn to mid-spring.
What do scientists think? How does teeth change happen?
Unlike amateur fishermen, scientists adhere to a single version on the question of when a pike changes its teeth. She does this throughout her life and year-round, as the need arises.
The very change of an old or damaged tooth with a new one is quite interesting. First, of course, the one that has fallen into disrepair falls out. In its place, a soft fang grows, looking not like bone, but like cartilage. This process bends in all directions, but hardens over time. Exactly what angle the tooth will be at is not clear until calcification begins.
How many teeth does a pike have in its mouth? Where are they located?
Of course, it is interesting not only whether the pike changes its teeth, but also how many of them are in the mouth of an underwater predator. Even scientists do not have an exact answer to the question about their number in this fish. The pike grows throughout its life, and with it the number of fangs, which are deadly for many inhabitants of the reservoirs, also increases.
Their location seems chaotic at first glance. The teeth of a predator do not grow at all like those of a person. They are literally everywhere. The mouth of an adult fish is dotted with large and small, razor-sharp and whittled fangs. They grow in the sky, cheeks,tongue and even at the beginning of the throat.
Lower teeth are bigger, stronger and sharper. But on the other hand, there are much more of them on the upper jaw. Canines that have grown in the “main” rows from above are damaged and worn out more often. Accordingly, when a pike changes its teeth, it usually starts this process with them.
What does a predator eat? Curious Cases
This predator loves to eat, and she eats everything she sees. In the view of most people who are far from fishing, she should hunt for smaller inhabitants of reservoirs. However, this is not the case at all.
Cases are described in which pike grabbed ducks from the surface of the water. During molting, birds cannot take off, which is what the predatory inhabitants of the depths use. In the villages, they say that large fish can snatch clothes from their hands when rinsing.
But the basis of the diet of predators is, of course, not waterfowl at all, and even more so not pillowcases with sheets. Pike prey on other fish. They don't have any special preferences. Kindred can also be victims or prey, especially if they are smaller and weaker. Many are sure that when a pike changes its teeth, it does not hunt or be caught. This is not true at all. The Predator does not lose all of her "murder weapons" at once. The change is gradual. Accordingly, the fish is looking for prey and gets hooked.
What do pike look like? How big do they grow?
The average size of fish commonly caught is not particularly impressive. In length, they rarely exceed a meter, and weigh about eight kilograms. But thisnot at all limiting indicators of height and body weight of predators.
In the middle climatic zone of our country, pike can grow up to one and a half meters and weigh thirty-five kilograms. However, fishermen also talk about larger specimens.
The appearance of a fish depends on where it lives. Usually the color is in gray tones, but the main color may be different:
- greenish;
- brown;
- yellowish;
- marsh.
The back of a pike is always darker and brighter than the sides. Females differ in that their urogenital opening is oblong in shape, and its sides are usually pinkish.
What else is interesting? Curious Facts
Having learned how often a pike changes its teeth, people are usually interested in other nuances of the life of underwater predators.
Pike is not only predatory fish, but also ubiquitous. It lives in all corners of the planet, in both hemispheres. Lives in fresh water, but can swim in not very s alty. This predator grows throughout its life. During the first year, the fish reaches a length of 60-70 centimeters. In the following months, the growth rate decreases, with no more than 3 cm added annually.
Frogs, small animals, birds can easily become an underwater predator's dinner. During the hunt, pikes do not develop high speed and are not prone to long chases for prey. They are cunning and cunning. They prefer to attack from ambush, making a lightning throw. Fish hide in clusters of algae, among snags or stones, trying toblend into the landscape. But this does not mean at all that the predators are not able to catch up with the dinner that floats away from their mouths. If the pike is hungry and has no choice, the fish is quite capable of a long chase.
Cougar don't like warm water. They easily endure the winter and often become the prey of fishermen just in the cold months of the year. For this reason, none of the seven varieties of these underwater predators known to scientists in the tropics or at the equator can be found. Of course, you can not find them in the lowlands. In high- altitude ice rivers, fish feel very comfortable.
For spawning, the female can lay about 250 eggs. The hatched fry very quickly reaches five centimeters in length and almost from birth shows aggressive hunting habits. The caviar itself is poisonous. Not fatal, but quite capable of provoking a severe intestinal upset. However, after s alting or smoking, all toxic elements decay and only useful ones remain.
Pike meat is a dietary product. It contains practically no components that are not completely absorbed by the human body, almost all important trace elements and vitamins are presented. You can also eat pike meat for those who carefully monitor their weight. The fat content in this product is extremely low, it does not exceed 3%. The remaining 97% are vitamins and various trace elements. However, the taste of the meat of the underwater predator is quite specific, so not all people like dishes from it.
