FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
'Muskellunge' is a word from the Indigenous language Ojibwe in North America. It is a derivation of the Ojibwe word is 'maashkinoozhe', which translates to 'great fish'. They are usually light silver or green-colored fish with dark stripes along their slender body. They have a flat head and anal, dorsal, and pelvis fins on the back of their body and muskellunge teeth are sharp.
'Muskie' or 'musky' is a short name used for the muskellunge fish and most muskellunge fish are found in the natural lakes of northern parts of America. It is commonly found species in its natural habitat. They have a resemblance, in terms of both appearance and behavior, to the American pickerel and the northern pike. They are primary ambush predators which means that they don't move until they attack their prey. Young muskies are consumed by bass, trout, and adult muskellunge fish, whilst adult muskies are apex predators.
If you find these facts about muskellunge fish interesting, then read more about swai fish and lungfish here on Kidadl!
The muskellunge is the largest member of the aquatic pike family Esocidae which is a genus of freshwater fish.
Muskellunge fish are part of the pike family. They are freshwater fish that belong to the Actinopterygii class.
A great number of muskies are found in the eastern and northern parts of America but there is no exact data on the number of muskellunge fish present in the world.
Muskellunge fish live in large rivers and mesotrophic and oligotrophic lakes. They are found in the northern parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. They also occupy the Tennesse River Valley and the Broad River in South Carolina. The hybrid tiger muskie is found in the Pineview Reservoir in Utah. Adult muskies prefer shallow rivers and young muskies love deeper waters.
The typical muskellunge habitat involves shallow-water lakes with vegetation in North America. They also occupy the rivers' backwater and quiet pools around woody debris. They are found in areas with a warmer water temperature. Adult muskies are found in shallow water and young muskellunge fish are found in deeper parts. In summer, muskies form two home ranges: a deeper range and a shallow range. The deeper range is normally a little bigger.
In a specific territory, they form schools and are gregarious at times.
The average muskellunge lifespan is up to 20 years long. Interestingly, if their length is more than or equal to 30 in (72 cm) they might have a lower lifespan. Females also tend to live longer than males
Ault muskellunge fish reach sexual maturity at around three to five years of age. The hybrid tiger muskie does not have a spawning process as they do not reproduce, but regular muskies spawn randomly during spring when the water temperature is about 50 F (10 C). Spawning takes place near vegetation and debris for about five to 10 days and the eggs are scattered by males by thrashing their tails. There is no care given to the eggs after spawning, the eggs simply scatter on the aquatic plants and adapt to the vegetation around them. The eggs hatch about one to two weeks after the adult muskellunge has abandoned the fertilized eggs. Muskellunge babies eat other small fishes and young muskellunge grow rapidly to about 12 in (30 cm) in their first season of growth.
The muskellunge is used as a sports and trophy fish and they put up a good fight when being fished. Overfishing is a threat to this species, and for this reason, some fishermen use the catch and release technique. Regulations and restrictions have been put into place on the minimum length and size that you can fish, to reduce the number of muskellunge killed each year. This rule established in the year 1891 and again in 1960. The daily limit is six fish and the minimum length you can catch is 30 in (72 cm). The destruction of their spawning habitats is also a serious problem, but overall these fish are classified as Least Concern.
A muskellunge fish has a long and slender torpedo-shaped body with anal and dorsal fins located near the caudal (tail) fin. These fish have a big mouth with long and sharp pointed teeth. They are usually light-colored with several markings like spots and vertical bars. Their body colors are silver, green, or brown and sometimes these markings are absent due to turbid waters. Their head, upper side, and back are light brown or greenish-gold and their bellies are cream-colored or pearl-white. Their fins have rusted colors. A pad of recurved and short teeth cover the roof of its mouth and sensory pores occupy the underside of its jaw.
Markellunge fish are hunter fish and they are a top predator with sharp teeth, so not many people find them cute.
They communicate through smell and by releasing chemicals. They also communicate with each other by touch.
The length of a muskellunge is 28-48 in (71-122 cm) and their height is 3.5-6.5 in (8.9-16.5 cm). Females grow faster than male muskellunge fish.
The average muskellunge speed can reach up to 30 mph (48.2 kph).
A muskellunge weighs 15-36 lb (6.8-16.3 kg).
There are no specific names given to females and males.
A young muskellunge is called a fry.
The typical muskellunge diet consists of fish (including bullheads and carp fish), insects, frogs, ducklings, muskrats, and mice. Due to their needle-like teeth and big mouth, they attack their prey headfirst.
Muskellunge fish will attack any moving creature. Some reports show that there were instances of muskellunge fish attacking dogs and humans, but these muskellunge attack claims are not confirmed.
These large muskellunge fish need an aquarium that is 10 gallons (37.8 liters) or larger. They are good tank mates with other fish though, so, yes they can make a good pet.
The tiger muskellunge is a cross-bred fish between the northern pike and the muskie. The tger muskellunge has distinctive tiger stripes.
The muskie is the state fish of Wisconsin, this was declared in 1955.
Larger muskies are preferred by anglers as trophy fish. In Maine, where muskies are not native fish, anglers are encouraged not to release any muskies that they catch.
In the year 1949, a muskie fish that weighed 67 lb 8 oz (30.6 kg) set the heaviest and largest muskellunge world record!
It is not easy to catch muskies because they have great eyesight.
Yes, muskie fish is edible. There are three ways to cook a muskie: grilling, pan-frying, and baking. For any of these cooking methods, the muskie first needs to well-cleaned. It is also important to be aware of the toxins and high mercury contamination in some muskies. These risks can pose some danger to humans.
There are three subspecies of muskellunge: The clear muskellunge (E. m. immaculatus) is found in the inland lakes of Minnesota, northwest parts of Ontario, Wisconsin, and southeast parts of Manitoba. The spotted or Great Lakes maskellunge (E. m. masquinongi) is found in surrounding areas of the Great Lakes Basin. They have spots that look like oblique rows. Finally, the barred or Chautauqua muskellunge (E. m. ohiaensis) is found in Lake Ontario, Lake Chautauqua, the Ohio river system, and the St. Lawrence River.
The best way to distinguish between these types of fish is by the number of sensory pores that are present on the underside of their mandible. The northern pike has a maximum of six pores whereas a muskie has more than seven per side.
The northern pike also has light-colored spots on its dark-colored body whereas the muskie is light-colored with dark spots. In addition, the caudal (tail) fin of the northern pike is more round than it is for all kinds of muskies. The northern pike has a fully scaled cheek whereas the muskie has no scales and the spots on a northern pike run horizontally but for the barred muskie, marks are vertical. Finally, a northern pike is easily distinguished from a clear muskie as there are no patterns on this type of muskie.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including the flounder, or arapaima.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Muskellunge coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.