Tiger muskellunge

The tiger muskellunge (Esox masquinongy × lucius or Esox lucius × masquinongy), commonly called tiger muskie, is a carnivorous fish, and is the usually sterile, hybrid offspring of the true muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) and the northern pike (Esox lucius). It lives in fresh water and its range extends to Canada, the Northeast, and parts of the Midwest and Southern United States. It grows quickly; in one study, tiger muskie grew 1.5 times as fast as muskellunge. Like other hybrid species, tiger muskie are said to have "hybrid vigor", meaning they grow faster and stronger than the parent fish, and are also less susceptible to disease. Trophy specimens weigh about 14 kg (30 lb). Its main diet is fish and baby waterfowl. The tiger muskie and the muskie are called the fish of 10,000 casts due to the challenge involved in catching them.

Distribution

The tiger muskie lives in the lakes and quiet rivers in Canada, the Great Lakes, the Upper Mississippi Valley, and the Ohio and St. Lawrence Rivers. It is found the most in Michigan. It is rarely found far from its natural waters except for stocked fish. Several states, including Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Arkansas, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming stock tiger muskies. Tiger muskie were once stocked in Michigan, but are no longer raised in Michigan state fish hatcheries. Each tiger muskie tends to inhabit the same areas of its lake from year to year. It tends toward shallower waters (2–3 m or 6–9 ft deep) and travels half as much in the summer and fall as it does in the winter to spring, when it prefers deeper waters (5–9 m or 15–30 ft deep).

Behaviour

The tiger muskie feeds as the northern pike and muskellunge do, by waiting near weeds and ambushing its prey. They have food preferences similar to those of the true muskie and northern pike as well. Their diet changes seasonally, due to a slower metabolism in the winter and spring months. Its varied diet includes yellow perch, suckers, golden shiners, walleye, smallmouth bass, and various other types of fish. When fish are not readily available tiger muskies will feed on crayfish, frogs, young waterfowl, muskrats, mice, and other small mammals.