Muskellunge are long and slender with a large duckbill shaped mouth and sharp teeth. They have dark spots or wavy lines on their sides on a light background. Only the upper half of the cheek and ear flap have scales unlike northern pike and pickerel. Muskies can be distinguished from northern pike by the presence of 7 to 11 sensory pores on the underside of each jaw (pike have only 5).