Grass Pickerel
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Name and Code Family Esocidae - pikes and mudminnows Species Esox americanus vermiculatus Taxonomic Authority Lesueur 1846 Common Name(s) Grass Pickerel French Name brochet vermiculé Species Code 133 Family TSN 162137 Parent TSN 162140 Species TSN 162142 Conservation Status Global Rank (GRank) G5T5 (1997-01-01) National Rank (NRank) N3 (2013-01-16) Provincial Rank (SRank) S3 (2009-10-21) COSEWIC Status Special Concern (Nov 2014) SARO Status Special Concern (2015) AFS Status none Status Notes none Ecological Value Ontario Origin native General Abundance uncommon Tolerance intermediate Economic Importance none Length-Weight Regression Coefficents Intercept (a) -5.37 Slope (b) 3.08 Length Basis FL				Habitat and Feeding General Habitat(s) lacustrine; riverine Environment benthopelagic Trophic Class invertivore/carnivore Thermal Regime warmwater Habitat Preference lakes, backwaters and sluggish pools of creeks and small rivers with mud bottom, aquatic vegetation and clear water; preferred water temperature 25.5°C Reproduction Reproductive Guild Nonguarders: Open substratum spawners: Phytophils Spawning Habitat(s) lacustrine; riverine Spawning Season spring Spawning Month(s) March-May Spawning Temperature (°C) 4-12 Fecundity 625-4,584 Nursery Habitat(s) lacustrine; riverine Size and Age Adult Length (cm) 15.2-32.5 TL Adult Weight (kg) 0.02-0.17 Age at Maturity (yrs) 2-3 Maximum Length (cm) 39.4 TL Maximum Weight (kg) 0.45 Lifespan (yrs) 4-8 Ontario Records Record Length (cm) 32.8 TL Record Weight (kg) 0.204				Ontario Range Map Ontario Distribution lower Great Lakes and tributaries, including Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River; isolated population occurs in the Severn River system Photographs Notes subspecies of Redfin Pickerel; evidence of low intensity fall spawning; tolerant of water temperatures up to 29°C; often associated with Central Mudminnow and Green Sunfish; moderately intolerant of turbidity
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