The Grass Pickerel is a small, elongated fish native to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins, occurring primarily west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its range extends from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast of the United States. It has fully scaled cheeks and gill covers, a short snout, and eight sensory pores on the underside of the lower jaw. The back is green with a golden stripe extending forward from the dorsal fin, and a prominent dark bar is present below the eye. Grass Pickerel inhabit warm, heavily vegetated streams and wetlands, where they function as visual predators, feeding primarily on fish and crayfish. Source: ROM Field Guide (The ROM Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Ontario, by Holm, Mandrak, & Burridge (2009).)