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A muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or...

A muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge (and often abbreviated "muskie" or "musky"), is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. The name comes from the Ojibwe word maashkinoozhe, meaning "ugly pike", by way of French masque allongé (modified from the Ojibwe word by folk etymology), "elongated mask." The French common name is masquinongé or maskinongé. Muskellunge are known by a wide variety of trivial names including Ohio muskellunge, Great Lakes muskellunge, barred muskellunge, Ohio River pike, Allegheny River pike, jack pike, unspotted muskellunge and the Wisconsin muskellunge. Muskellunge closely resemble other Esocids such as the northern pike and American pickerel in both appearance and behavior. Like other pikes, the body plan is typical of ambush predators with an elongate body, flat head and dorsal, pelvic and anal fins set far back on the body. Muskellunge attain lengths of 60–150 cm (2–5 ft) and weights of over 30 kg (66 lb). The fish are a light silver, brown or green with dark vertical stripes on the flank, which may tend