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Originally Posted by saxmatt
Hybrids are pretty rare. Most of the pictures of pike/pickerel hybrids on the internet aren't actually hybrids. I used to work for the fisheries division of the CT DEP and have probably sampled over 10,000 fish and can only remember a few examples of hybrids, mostly in the sunfish family, and 1 natural tiger trout. Pike can have vertical bars, or chains like pickerel, but that doesn't mean they are hybrids. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes just like people. The reason I don't think this is a hybrid is because the color is wrong and the spot pattern is wrong. Pike/pickerel hybrids are usually an emerald green color and have very small spots arranged in vertical lines. Here is a picture of a pike, pickerel, and hybrid that was confirmed through genetic testing by the VT DEP. The second pic is of an adult pure strain pike with vertical barring. The vertical barring can be more pronounced in young pike and breaks apart as they mature, these are often mistaken for hybrids.
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I didn't mean to imply that hybrids in the Esox group were common.. They do occur however.. We see them up here in NY state in areas such as Cayuga lake and lake Champlain where the 2 species share habitat.. I would imagine the 2 species are more interested in one another gastronomically as opposed to romantically.. However mistakes do happen. bob
