The chain pickerel has an elongated body, a snout shaped like a duck’s bill, and a large mouth with many sharp teeth. The back and sides are olive or yellowish brown with a chainlike pattern of dark lines. The dorsal fin is positioned far back on the body.
Similar species: The redfin pickerel (grass pickerel) is smaller, attaining an average size of 10 to 12 inches, but both species are seldom found in the same waters.
Total length: 16 to 22 inches.
Limited to streams and some lakes of the southeastern Ozarks.
Habitat and Conservation
Streams and some lakes of the southeastern Ozarks. Inhabits clear, quiet waters where aquatic vegetation is abundant, particularly in backwater sloughs of streams. Adults lie motionless in dense stands of vegetation and ambush prey with a quick darting motion.
Food
Adults are carnivorous and feed on other fishes. Young feed on small crustaceans and aquatic insects.
Status
Game fish.
Life Cycle
They are random spawners. Instead of building a nest, they spread their eggs with a flick of their tail. A sticky coating on eggs allows them to adhere to vegetation. They live 8 to 9 years.
Human Connections
A favorite target of anglers.
Ecosystem Connections
Controls fishes, small crustaceans, and aquatic insects.
