tiger muskellunge (norlunge)
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Name and Code
Family
Esocidae - pikes and mudminnows
Species
Esox lucius x E. masquinongy
Taxonomic Authority
not applicable
Common Name(s)
tiger muskellunge (norlunge)
French Name
maskinongé tigre
Species Code
502
Family TSN
162137
Parent TSN
162138
Species TSN
not applicable
Conservation Status
Global Rank (GRank)
GNA
National Rank (NRank)
NNA
Provincial Rank (SRank)
SNA
COSEWIC Status
none
SARO Status
none
AFS Status
none
Status Notes
none
Ecological Value
Ontario Origin
natural hybrid
General Abundance
rare
Tolerance
intermediate
Economic Importance
sport fish
Length-Weight Regression Coefficents
Intercept (a)
-6.126
Slope (b)
3.337
Length Basis
TL
Habitat and Feeding
General Habitat(s)
lacustrine; riverine
Environment
benthopelagic
Trophic Class
carnivore
Thermal Regime
coolwater
Habitat Preference
warm, weedy shallows of clear lakes and slow rivers; preferred water temperature range 19-21°C
Reproduction
Reproductive Guild
Nonguarders: Open substratum spawners: Phytophils
Spawning Habitat(s)
lacustrine; riverine
Spawning Season
spring
Spawning Month(s)
April-May
Spawning Temperature (°C)
no data
Fecundity
no data
Nursery Habitat(s)
lacustrine; riverine
Size and Age
Adult Length (cm)
58.4-111.1 TL
Adult Weight (kg)
1.3-10.9
Age at Maturity (yrs)
n/a (m); no data (f)
Maximum Length (cm)
137.2 TL
Maximum Weight (kg)
23.22
Lifespan (yrs)
10-14
Ontario Records
Record Length (cm)
132.1 TL
Record Weight (kg)
15.7
Ontario Range Map
tiger muskellunge (norlunge) range
Ontario Distribution
central, eastern and northwestern Ontario
Photographs
tiger muskellunge (norlunge) photograph
tiger muskellunge (norlunge) photograph
Notes
hybrid progeny of male Northern Pike crossed with female Muskellunge; males are sterile, however females are often fertile
Information Sources
Bernatchez, L. and M. Giroux. 2000. Les poissons d’eau douce du Québec et leur répartition dans l’Est du Canada. Broquet Inc. Saint-Constant, QC. 350 pp.
Carlander, K.D. 1969. Handbook of freshwater fishery biology. Volume one. Life history data on freshwater fishes of the United States and Canada, exclusive of the Perciformes. Iowa State University Press. Ames, IA. vi + 752 pp.
Cooper, E.L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press. University Park and London. vii + 243 pp.
Ditz, K. and E. Holm. 2023. Ontario Fish Species Codes and Names. Ichthyology and Herpetology, Royal Ontario Museum. May 1994. Modified February 2023.
Holm, E., N. Mandrak, and M. Burridge. 2021. A field guide to freshwater fishes of Ontario, second edition. Royal Ontario Museum Science Publication. Toronto, ON. 486 pp.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). 2023. On-line database. http://www.itis.gov, retrieved 02 May 2023.
Jenkins, R.E. and N.M. Burkhead. 1993. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society. Bethesda, MD. xxiii + 1079 pp.
Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History Publication 1980-12. Raleigh, NC. x + 867 pp.
Mandrak, N.E. and E.J. Crossman. 1992. A checklist of Ontario freshwater fishes annotated with distribution maps. Royal Ontario Museum Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publication. Toronto, ON. v + 176 pp.
Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH). 2022. OFAH Ontario record fish registry. https://www.ofah.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/OFAH_RecFish_Nov22.pdf. November 14, 2022.
Page, L.M., K.E. Bemis, T.E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, K.E. Hartel, R.N. Lea, N.E. Mandrak, M.A. Neighbors, J.J. Schmitter-Soto, and H.J. Walker Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 8th Edition. American Fisheries Society, Spec. Publ. 37. Bethesda, MD. 439 pp.
Scott, W.B. 1967. Freshwater fishes of eastern Canada, second edition. University of Toronto Press. Toronto, ON. xii + 137 pp.
Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 184. [1998 Reprint] Galt House Publications Ltd. Oakville, ON. xx + 966 pp.
Scharpf, C. 2006. Annotated checklist of North American freshwater fishes, including subspecies and undescribed forms. Part II: Catostomidae through Mugilidae. American Currents 32(4):1-39.
Smith, C.L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. xi + 522 pp.
Stauffer, Jr., J.R., J.M. Boltz and L.R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Reprinted from The Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389. Pennsylvania State University. 389 pp.
Warren, M.L., Jr., and B.M. Burr [Eds]. 2020. Freshwater Fishes of North America, Volume 2: Characidae to Poeciliidae. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. xx + 911 pp.