Original description as Esox osseus:
- Linnaeus, Carolus. 1758. "Systema Naturae, Ed. X.". Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. 10 i-ii + 1-824 (ffm00310)
Synonyms (2):
- Esox viridis Bonnaterre, 1788, with type locality at . Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus gavial Lacepède, 1803, with type locality at Lakes and rivers of the two Indies. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Sarchirus vittatus Rafinesque, 1818, with type locality at Lower Ohio River, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus longirostris Rafinesque, 1820, with type locality at Muskingum River, Ohio, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus oxyurus Rafinesque, 1820, with type locality at Ohio River, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus rostratus Cuvier, 1836, with type locality at . Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus gracilis Richardson, 1836, with type locality at Non given. Determiner: Grande, 2010
- Lepisosteus huronensis Richardson, 1836, with type locality at Peneteugishene, Lake Huron, also Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus bison DeKay, 1842, with type locality at Buffalo, Lake Erie; lakes of western districts, New York, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus lineatus Thompson, 1842, with type locality at Winooski River in Burlington, Vermont, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Macrognathus loricatus Gronow, 1854, with type locality at Indian and American oceans. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus leptorhynchus Girard, 1858, with type locality at Devil's River, Texas, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus crassus Cope, 1865, with type locality at Probably in brackish water at Bombay Hook, near the mouth of Delaware River, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus otarius Cope, 1865, with type locality at Platte River near Fort Riley, Kansas, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus ayresii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Wabash River, Illinois, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus clintonii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at No locality. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus copei Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Northern North America. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus elisabeth Duméril, 1870, with type locality at No locality. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus harlani Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Wabash River, Illinois, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus horatii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Northern North America. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus lesueurii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Wabash River, Illinois, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus louisianensis Duméril, 1870, with type locality at New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus milberti Duméril, 1870, with type locality at New York, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus piquotianus Duméril, 1870, with type locality at North America. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus smithii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Upper Mississippi River, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus thompsonii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at Upper Mississippi River, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepidosteus troostii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at New York, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
- Lepisosteus treculii Duméril, 1870, with type locality at State of Mississippi, U.S.A. Determiner: Wiley, 1976
Conservation: Lepisosteus osseus is not evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species.