Spotted bass

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Spotted bass
Micropterus punctulatus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Centrarchiformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Micropterus
Species:
M. punctulatus
Binomial name
Micropterus punctulatus
(Rafinesque, 1819)
Synonyms [2]

Calliurus punctulatusRafinesque, 1819

The spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), also called spotty, or spots in various fishing communities, is a species of North American freshwater fish belonging to the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. It is noted for the rows of dark spots below the lateral line, which give it its common name. One of the black basses, it is native to the Mississippi River basin and across the Gulf states, from central Texas through the Florida panhandle. Its native range extends into the western Mid-Atlantic states and it has been introduced into western North Carolina and Virginia. It has also been introduced to southern Africa, where it has become established in some isolated waters as an invasive species.

Contents

Spotted bass can reach an overall length of almost 64 cm (25 in), and can weigh up to 5.2 kg (11 lb). It can live to an age of at least seven years. Preferring cool and warm mountain streams and reservoirs with rocky bottoms, the spotted bass feeds on insects, crustaceans, frogs, annelid worms and smaller fish. It is often mistaken for the similar and more common largemouth bass. A convenient way to distinguish between a largemouth and a spotted bass is by the size of the mouth. A spotted bass will resemble a largemouth bass in coloration but will have a smaller mouth.

In 2010, the scientific community officially recognized a separate subspecies of spotted bass, native to the Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers and their lakes. This species is commonly known as the Alabama spotted bass (M. henshalli) and known locally as the "Coosa spotted bass", not to be confused with the redeye Coosa bass found in north Georgia. [3] The Alabama spotted bass is highly prized as a gamefish and average size is much larger than the more common Kentucky spotted bass. The current record spotted bass, caught in Pine Flat Lake, California, weighed 10.27 lb (4.66 kg). [4]

Etymology

Micropterus means small fin, and punctulatus means dotted. [5]

Description

Typical spotted bass from Tallapoosa River near Tallassee, Alabama (released) Typical Tallapoosa River Spotted Bass.jpg
Typical spotted bass from Tallapoosa River near Tallassee, Alabama (released)

Many anglers who catch a spotted bass mistake it for a largemouth bass due to the coloration, although there are subtle differences. The spotted bass, like all black basses except the largemouth, has scales on the base portion of the second dorsal fin, its first and second dorsal fin are clearly connected, and its upper jaw bone does not extend back to or beyond the rear edge of the eyes.

The spotted bass is also often confused with a smallmouth bass (or "smally" for short), but it lacks the vertical bars that are present on the sides of a smallmouth's body. The spotted bass also has small black spots below the lateral line unlike either the large or smallmouth bass. Juveniles often resemble the young smallmouth bass in having a broad band of orange at the base of the tail, followed by a broad black band and white edge. The spotted bass is known to hybridize with the smallmouth, which sometimes makes identification difficult. Spotted bass can be found in deeper water than smallmouth bass, at depths up to 100 ft (30 m). [6]

Distribution and habitat

Spotted bass seem to be segregated by habitat type from closely related species such as the largemouth and smallmouth bass. They tend to be found in areas with more water current than the largemouth, and usually inhabit areas that are too warm, turbid and sluggish for smallmouth bass. They usually occur around aquatic vegetation, submerged logs, and rock or riprap walls in small to large flowing streams, rivers, and reservoirs. Spotted bass are distributed throughout the Ohio River basin as well as the central and lower Mississippi River basin. The species may be found in Gulf Coast states from Texas east to Florida. Spotted bass are native to portions of East Texas, particularly in the Sabine, Neches and Cypress Rivers. [7]

Diet

Spotted bass usually feed on small fishes, crayfish and aquatic insects. [5] The young begin with copepods and other small crustaceans and soon begin to eat insects. The spotted bass' diet falls in between the largemouth and smallmouth bass. It isn't nearly as predatory as the largemouth and only consumes about half the amount of the fish. Like all bass the spotted bass feeds by opening its mouth and creating a negative pressure that sucks in the prey. [8]

Reproduction and life cycle

The spotted bass can live approximately six years. [9] Spawning occurs from April to May in habitat similar to that used by smallmouth. The males build their nest in gravel or other substrate, then entices a female to deposit her eggs. The males guard the eggs until they disperse. Several spotted and smallmouth bass hybrids have been collected recently in area reservoirs suggesting there is occasionally competition between the two species for spawning habitat. [10]

Importance to humans

The spotted bass is a popular game fish that is fished regularly. In this context spotted bass is a good food fish for human consumption.

Invasive species

The spotted bass was introduced to the Thee River, OlifantsDoring River system, Western Cape Province, South Africa as game fish before 2007, and is now rated as an invasive species. The population was successfully eradicated in 2014, where gillnets and hand nets were used to remove the majority of the stock, while individuals were also caught by spearguns, seine nets and backpack electrofishing. The spotted bass was held responsible for a decline in abundance of native fiery redfin (Pseudobarbus phlegethon Barnard, 1938) and Cape galaxias (Galaxias zebratus Castelnau, 1861). [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bass is a generic common name shared by many species of ray-finned fish from the large clade Percomorpha, mainly belonging to the orders Perciformes and Moroniformes, encompassing both freshwater and marine species. The word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch", despite that none of the commonly referred bass species belong to the perch family Percidae.

<i>Micropterus</i> Genus of fishes

Micropterus is a genus of North American freshwater fish collectively known as the black bass, which belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae of order Perciformes. They are sometimes erroneously called "black trout", but the name trout more correctly refers to certain potamodromous members of the family Salmonidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smallmouth bass</span> Species of freshwater fish

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Largemouth bass</span> Species of black bass

The largemouth bass is a carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico. It is known by a variety of regional names, such as the widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, largie, Potter's fish, Florida bass or Florida largemouth, green bass, bucketmouth bass, green trout, growler, Gilsdorf bass, Oswego bass, LMB, and southern largemouth and northern largemouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redeye bass</span> Species of fish

The redeye bass, redeye, or Coosa bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) native to the Coosa River system of Georgia, Alabama. The waters it is normally found in are cool streams and rivers in the foothills of mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centrarchidae</span> Family of ray-finned fishes

Centrarchidae, better known as sunfishes, is a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Centrarchiformes, native only to North America. There are eight universally included genera within the centrarchid family: Lepomis, Micropterus, Pomoxis (crappies), Enneacanthus, Centrarchus, Archoplites, Ambloplites, and Acantharchus. A genetic study in 2012 suggests that the highly distinct pygmy sunfishes of the genus Elassoma are also centrarchids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bass fishing</span> Recreational activity targeting North American black bass species

Bass fishing is the recreational fishing activity, typically via rod-based angling, for various North American freshwater game fishes known collectively as black bass. There are numerous black bass species targeted in North America, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass or Kentucky bass, and Guadalupe bass. All black bass species are members of the sunfish family Centrarchidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warmouth</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoal bass</span> Species of fish

The shoal bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. One of the black basses, it is native to waters in Florida and Georgia. It is also occasionally found in rivers and streams of East Alabama where it has been declared an endangered species and cannot legally be kept if caught by fishermen. Of typical size for a black bass, M. cataractae reaches a maximum recorded length of 24 inches (61 cm) and a maximum published weight of 8 pounds, 12 ounces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guadalupe bass</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longear sunfish</span> Species of fish

The longear sunfish is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, of order Perciformes. It is native to the area of eastern North America stretching from the Great Lakes down to northeastern Mexico. The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm (9.4 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790 g (1.74 lb). Most do not live beyond six years. The longear sunfish is quite colorful, with an olive to rusty-brown back, bright orange belly and vermiculate blue-green bars on the sides of its head, the latter two features most pronounced in breeding males. A unique characteristic of longear sunfish is their elongated operculum flap, giving an appearance of a "long ear". It is black and often has a white margin. The pectoral fin is relatively short and would not reach the snout if it were reflected anteriorly. In breeding males, iridescent blue spots develop on the dorsum and sides and the fin membranes turn orange in all fins except the ventral ones, which may be blue to black, and the pectoral ones. Lepomis megalotis can be distinguished from closely related dollar sunfish L. marginatus by a greater number of cheek scale rows, by having one to two additional pectoral fin rays and by the slope of the opercular flap, which is distinctly upward in L. marginatus but is closer to horizontal in males of L. megalotis, although female and subadult L. megalotis may have upward slanting opercular flaps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing in Alabama</span>

Alabama has a rich history and diversity of freshwater and saltwater sport fishing opportunities within its extensive rivers systems, farm ponds and the inshore and offshore saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico., The Bass Angler's Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), the leading promoter of competitive bass fishing was founded by Ray Scott in 1967 in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama hosts numerous local, regional and national fishing tournaments every year.

Alabama supports 11 million angler fishing days with expenditures of three-quarters of a billion dollars, so join in the fun!

Austroglanis barnardi is an endangered species of catfish. It is one of three members of the family Austroglanididae. It is also known as the spotted rock-catfish or Barnard's rock-catfish.

<i>Hamiota altilis</i> Species of bivalve

Hamiota altilis, the finelined pocketbook, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border barb</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blacktail shiner</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama bass</span> Species of ray-finned fish

Micropterus henshalli, the Alabama bass, is a medium-sized freshwater ray finned fish, a black bass from the genus Micropterus which is part of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. This species is endemic to the southeastern United States where it is native to the rivers which drain into Mobile Bay in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia where they are found in pools in rivers which have a good flow and in impoundments. They have been introduced elsewhere in the United States and the hybridisation of this species with the redeye bass after Alabama bass were introduced into Keowee Reservoir, South Carolina is thought to have probably been the cause in the decline in the population of redeye bass. Micropterus henshalli was first formally described as a subspecies of the spotted bass by Carl Leavitt Hubbs and Reeve Maclaren Bailey in 1940 with the type locality given as Jefferson County, Alabama. The specific name honors James A. Henshall who was a bass angler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACT River Basin</span> Drainage basin (watershed) in the Southeastern US

The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin is a drainage basin (watershed) in the Southeastern United States. The basin is located mainly in eastern Alabama, but also goes includes a small part of Georgia. This area is classified as a sub-region by the USGS hydrological code system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida bass</span> Species of fish

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References

  1. NatureServe (2013). "Micropterus punctulatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202565A18234277. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202565A18234277.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Micropterus punctulatus". FishBase . December 2019 version.
  3. "Nomenclature of the Spotted Bass". Big Georgia Spots. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-06-14.
  4. "State Records for Spotted Bass". Archived from the original on 2012-06-14.
  5. 1 2 "Spotted Bass". Outdoor Alabama. 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  6. "Bass, spotted". Igfa.org. Retrieved 2016-10-19.
  7. "Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus)". Tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  8. "Spotted (Kentucky) Bass Freshwater Fish Information". Fish-identification.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  9. "Spotted Bass | MDC Discover Nature". Nature.mdc.mo.gov. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  10. "TWRA - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Spotted Bass". Tnfish.org. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  11. Walt, Johannes A.; Marr, Sean M.; Wheeler, Marius J.; Impson, N. Dean; Garrow, Craig; Weyl, Olaf L.F. (2019). "Successful mechanical eradication of spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus (Rafinesque, 1819)) from a South African river". Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 29 (2): 303–311. doi:10.1002/aqc.3035. hdl: 10019.1/112516 .