Redfin Pickerel :: essays research papers

Description: The Redfin pickerel has 15 to 36 dark, wavy vertical bars and reddish-orange lower fins. The coloration is much the same as that of chain pickerels, a dark backward slanting bar below the eye. The snout is shorter and broader than any other pickerel. There are normally 11 to 13 branchiosstegal rays under the lower jaw. The cheek and gill covers are completely covered in scales. They weigh up to one and a half pounds, which is the world record to this day. They have an average length from 6-10 inches with an average weight of 5 ounces. The Redfin Pickerel has a cylindrical, torpedo-shaped body with numerous sharp teeth at the point of the snout. Range: The range of the Redfin pickerel is found statewide with the exception of mountain habitats. Environment: They are usually found in heavy growths of aquatic plants in sluggish streams. They are also found in shallow coves of lakes or in ponds. They prefer water from 75 to 80 degrees. Redfin pickerels may be the dominant predator fish in small creeks. They prefer slow moving, heavily vegetated swamps and millponds. Food: Small fish make up most of the Redfin pickerels diet, but they also eat aquatic insects and various other invertebrates. Reproduction: The Redfin pickerel spawns in the early spring as water temperature approach 50Â °F. Spawning occurs in shallow water when the female deposits her eggs in vegetated areas where they are fertilized and left unattended. A large female may deposit as many as 4,000 eggs at one time. Some fish as small as 5 inches may release no more than 400 eggs. They become sexually mature by at least age two. No parental care is given to the eggs. Unique characteristics: The Redfin pickerel has numerous sharp teeth in a relatively pointed snout making it perfectly designed for its ambush-type-feeding behavior. Due to small size, sport fishing for this species is limited to coastal areas where the ideal habitat for growth exists. This fish is highly prized by many low country natives who grew up eating this sweet flavored fish.