Please help me id pike..

[Bsan]

I think he's a striped pike (Crenicichla strigata). Not sure though..Any help is much appreciated. Also he seems very light in color almost translucent most of the time. Once in a great while he changes color in a split second to having that dark stripe really noticeable.

 

[mbeatrice]

looks like johanna

 

[crenipterus svenagalus]

Crenicichla johanna.

 

[Bsan]

wow thank you for the fast responses.. any reason i should be worried about his/her color being so transclucent? am i not giving the right foods or nutrients? he will only eat live foods right now. mostly feeder rosies until i move into my new place soon so i can set up a breeder molly tank.

 

[Peanut_Power]

Nothing to worry about. As it gets older it will color up more. Thats typical coloration. Congrats on the new pike up!

 

[boredinthepeg]

From my understanding there's a bunch of pike species that all have that coloration as juveniles, they also tend to school together while they have that pattern. Behavior changes as they begin to develop the adult coloration. Don't believe you can succesfully ID until they get bigger. In the same boat myself currently growing out 7 juvies with no idea what they'll turn into.

 

[pwmin]

^^^
johannas are lugubris group pikes that have a thick line without an ocellus...they're pretty easy to tell, at least the common variants. However, not all species in the group are described, so there is a possibility of another species that meets that description, but it's highly unlikely that's what the OP has.

 

[kevinfleming21]

^^^
johannas are lugubris group pikes that have a thick line without an ocellus...they're pretty easy to tell, at least the common variants. However, not all species in the group are described, so there is a possibility of another species that meets that description, but it's highly unlikely that's what the OP has.

my Vens look exactly like what you are describing and what is pictured in the last pic, ALOT of juvie pikes have that exact same pattern and color. almost impossible to narrow it down at this age.

 

[Peanut_Power]

First four definitely look like johanna to me. That last one is still showing stronger johanna traits too. SOME Lugubris group pikes CAN be IDed at smaller ages/sizes. Sometimes you have to pay a little more attention to detail, look a little harder, but it generally can be done.

 

[boredinthepeg]

First four definitely look like johanna to me. That last one is still showing stronger johanna traits too. SOME Lugubris group pikes CAN be IDed at smaller ages/sizes. Sometimes you have to pay a little more attention to detail, look a little harder, but it generally can be done.

OK, what sort of identifiers should I be looking for...checking web photos and I've found photos matching my juvies for about 7 different species with johanna being one of them. However most of the johanna seem to have a red iris and my guys are black iris. If my camera wasn't on the fritz I'd upload a photo. Got them from Spencer Jack and he said he only feels comfortable calling them black line pikes because he doesn't think they can be id'd at this age. Not trying to argue just genuinely curious.