Settlement and habitat use by juvenile pike in early winter

Abstract

The spatial distribution and social behaviour of young‐of‐the‐year pike Esox lucius was investigated in early winter. Reed beds were selected in the early exploration phase but thereafter, pike congregated in the pool habitat. A significant increase in pool occupancy combined with a decrease in reed bed occupancy and movement indicated settlement within 3 days. There was no evidence of territoriality, which has been reported previously in adult pike: indeed, inter‐individual spacing was consistent with social grouping rather than territory defence. The strong preference for reed cover among juveniles reported in other studies that were undertaken during summer was not observed here. Among‐individual variation in exploratory behaviour was observed but this was not related to activity levels or habitat use.