Each fisherman, without any exceptions, considers the pike an enviable prey that is not 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 has settled.
But, in addition to the fact that the pike is quite a dangerous and cunning underwater predator, it is interesting and a number of features. For example, few people know whether the teeth of this fish change and how exactly this happens. Indeed, 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 does a pike change teeth? Autumn or spring? Or doesn’t she change them at all? There are a lot of opinions on this. From a scientific point of view, this process takes place throughout the year, as needed. But the opinions of fishermen regarding the change of pike teeth are not so clear.
Some lovers of sitting with a fishing rod claim that in the last spring month their pike changes their teeth, and for this reason it is practically not caught during this period. Others are convinced that the process of changing fangs occurs in the winter. Some fishermen believe that the period when the pike changes teeth lasts from late autumn to mid spring.
What do scientists think? How does a tooth change happen?
Unlike amateur anglers, scientists adhere to a unified version in the question of when pike changes 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, it falls into disrepair. In its place, a soft fang grows, not like a bone, but like cartilage. This process bends in all directions, but hardens over time. It is not clear at what exact angle the tooth will be located until the moment when calcination begins.
How many pike do you have in your mouth? How are they located?
Of course, it’s interesting not only whether the pike changes its teeth, but also how many of them are in the mouth of an underwater predator. Even the scientists do not have an exact answer to the question about their quantity. Pike grows throughout life, and along with this, the number of fangs deadly for many inhabitants of water bodies increases.
Their location at first glance seems chaotic. The teeth of the predator do not grow at all, as in humans. They are literally everywhere. The mouth of an adult fish is mottled with large and small, razor-sharp and sharpened fangs. They grow in the sky, cheeks, tongue, and even at the beginning of the pharynx.
The lower teeth are larger, more solid and sharper. But there are a lot more of them on the upper jaw. Fangs grown in the “main” rows from above are damaged and wear out more often. Accordingly, when the pike changes teeth, it usually begins 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 passion for fishing, it should hunt for smaller inhabitants of water bodies. However, this is not at all true.
Cases are described in which pikes grab ducks from the surface of the water. During molting, birds cannot take off, which is what predatory inhabitants of the depths use. In the villages, they say that large fish can grab linen from their hands when rinsing.
But the basis of the diet of predators is, of course, not waterfowl at all, and especially not pillowcases with sheets. Pikes prey on other fish. They have no particular preferences. Kindred may 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 and is not caught. This is not at all true. A predator does not lose all its “murder weapons” at a time. The change is gradual. Accordingly, the fish is looking for prey, and she gets on the hook.
What do pikes look like? How big do they grow?
The average size of the fish that are usually caught is not particularly impressive. In length, they rarely exceed a meter, and weigh about eight kilograms. But these are not limiting indicators of growth and body weight of predators at all.
In the average climatic zone of our country, pikes can grow up to one and a half meters and weigh thirty-five kilograms. However, fishermen talk about larger specimens.
The appearance of the fish depends on where it lives. Usually the coloring is in gray tones, but here the main color may be different:
- greenish;
- brown;
- yellowish;
- marsh.
The back of the pike is always darker and brighter than the sides. Females differ in that the urogenital opening in them has an oblong shape, and the sides of its usually pinkish tint.
