the name of a group of fishes found in the fresh waters of both Europe and North America. In the United States this fish is commonly known as the pickerel. It has a long, slender body, with a long head and large mouth. It is very voracious and destructive to smaller fish. The pickerel is a fine game fish and is usually taken by hook and line. The flesh is somewhat coarse and has not as good a flavor as the salmon or trout, yet the fish is quite highly prized for food. The so-called wall-eyed pike, or wall-eye, common to northern lakes, is really a species of perch. See PERCH.