Species: Micropterus dolomieu

Smallmouth Bass

Species

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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

The elongate body is compressed from side to side, the upper jaw does not extend beyond the rear edge of the eye in adults, the dorsal fin has two parts that are fairly broadly connected (front part is spiny, rear part has 13-15 (usually 14) soft rays), and the shortest spine at the rear of the front part of the dorsal fin is more than half as long as the longest spine. The sides have irregular dark vertical markings, the cheeks have four dark streaks that radiate from eye or snout, and a white spot is present at the rear end of the gill cover. This species never has a broad black stripe on each side. The tail fin of young is three-banded with yellow, black, and white (at the tip); this fades with age. Maximum total length is around 27.5 inches (69 cm).

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Perciformes

Family

Centrarchidae

Genus

Micropterus

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104786

Classification

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Sunfishes and Freshwater Basses

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Perciformes - Centrarchidae - Micropterus - . This change conforms with the policies of the 1985 International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and has been followed in recent major ichthyological publications (e.g., Etnier and Starnes 1993, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).

Ecology and Life History

Habitat Type Description

Freshwater

Migration

true - true - false - May migrate short distances between spawning and nonspawning habitats (Moyle 1976).

Non-migrant

true

Locally Migrant

true

Food Comments

Fry eat mainly crustaceans and aquatic insects (e.g., chironomid larvae and pupae) until they are about 5 cm TL, when they start feeding heavily on fishes. Crayfish, amphibians, and insects often become dominant foods of local populations or seasonally. Adults almost entirely piscivorous if sufficient prey available.

Reproduction Comments

Spawning occurs in late spring or early summer and may be interrupted by flooding. Eggs hatch in 2-10 days at 60-77°F (15-25°C). Males guards eggs and hatchlings. Fry leave the nest about 10-15 days after egg deposition. Parental care may last 4 weeks or longer. Individuals usually attain sexual maturity at age II in south, age VI in north (Moyle 1976, Becker 1983). Nests are solitary rather than colonial.

Ecology Comments

Usually stays within 5 miles of place of original capture, but longer movements have been recorded (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Length

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-09-23

Global Status Last Changed

1996-09-23

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

Smallmouth bass is native to the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from southern Quebec to North Dakota and south to northern Alabama and eastern Oklahoma. It has been widely introduced throughout the United States, southern Canada, and other countries.

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104786