Ozark bass | |
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Ozark bass caught in the James River, Missouri, 2018 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Centrarchidae |
Genus: | Ambloplites |
Species: | A. constellatus |
Binomial name | |
Ambloplites constellatus | |
The Ozark bass (Ambloplites constellatus) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native only to the White River, Sac River, James River, and Pomme de Terre River drainages of Missouri and Arkansas. The species is commonly referred to as "goggle-eye".
The Ozark bass is a comparatively slender species of rock bass with a large eye [3] which has a red iris. [4] The brownish-green body has an irregular pattern of black speckling. [5] This species attains a maximum total length of 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in), but they are normally around 13.3 centimetres (5.2 in) and the maximum published weight is 450 grams (0.99 lb). [6]
The Ozark bass is native to the Ozarks upland reaches of the White River system in Missouri and Arkansas. They have been introduced elsewhere but have failed to establish populations in those areas. [2]
The Ozark bass occurs in creeks and small to medium permanent rivers with high levels of dissolved oxygen, plentiful aquatic vegetation, low turbidity, and sand or rocky beds substrates, with a preference for clear rocky pools close to the banks, boulders, or submerged wood. Males create nests in gravel or small stone substrates, and these are normally situated around a metre of cover. [1] Spawning starts when the water temperature reaches 17 °C (63 °F). [7] The male excavates a nest in sand or gravel which is 20–25 centimetres (8–10 in) in diameter at depths of 30–150 centimetres (1–5 ft). The females lay eggs in the nest, and the male guards the nest until the fry depart. [8]
They are a popular game fish in small streams and rivers. The IGFA world record for the species is a twoway tie with fish weighing 0.45 kg (1 lb 0 oz) caught from Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and the James River in Missouri. [9]
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus Micropterus, and is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has been spread by stocking—as well as illegal introductions—to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in the United States. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches (69 cm) and 12 pounds (5.4 kg).
The warmouth is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) that is found throughout the eastern United States. Other local names include molly, redeye, goggle-eye, red-eyed bream, and strawberry perch.
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The Guadalupe bass is a rare species of fish endemic to the U.S. state of Texas, where it also is the official state fish. It is restricted to creeks and rivers, and is listed as near threatened. Today, most fly fishermen and anglers practice catch-and-release techniques to improve fish populations. The Guadalupe bass is often difficult to distinguish from the smallmouth bass or spotted bass, and the fish is known to hybridize.
Ambloplites is a genus of North American freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species is A. rupestris, the rock bass, and the species of this genus are known collectively as the rock basses.
The rock bass, also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, red eye, and black perch, is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red-eyed fish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes and can be distinguished from other similar species by the six spines in the anal fin.
The Roanoke bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. This species is endemic to rivers in the eastern United States of America, where it is native only to the states of Virginia and North Carolina.
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The silver redhorse is a species of freshwater fish endemic to Canada and the United States. It is the longest-lived redhorse known, with a maximum reported age of 41 years. Sometimes called redhorse or sucker for short, it is in the family Catostomidae with other suckers. The species is distributed from Quebec to Alberta and is also in the Mississippi River, St. Lawrence River, Ohio River, and the Great Lakes basins. The current world record is 14 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by Chris Stephenson on Pickwick Lake in Alabama, April 1995 and certified by National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. This species is of growing interest to rod-and-line anglers. The long-lived and late-maturing silver redhorse is also a sportfish pursued by kill-and-dump bowfishing, a 21st century unregulated sport that produces tons of wanton waste, and thus management and conservation are in need of updating.
The northern hogsucker is a freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, the suckers. It is native to the United States and Canada where it is found in streams and rivers. It prefers clear, fast-flowing water, where it can forage on the riverbed for crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic insects, algae and detritus. It turns over small pebbles and scrapes materials off rocks and sucks up the particles, and other species of fish sometimes station themselves downstream from its activities so as to garner disturbed food fragments. Breeding takes place on gravel bottoms in shallow riffles in late spring. This fish is susceptible to such man-made disturbances as channelization, sedimentation, pollution, and dam construction. However, it has a wide range and is a common species so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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Robert C. Cashner is an American ichthyologist and retired academic administrator.
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The checkered madtom is a small freshwater catfish found in the United States, in the rivers of Arkansas and Missouri. It is one of 29 species of madtom.
The Ozark madtom is a freshwater fish endemic to the United States. It is one of 29 species of madtom.