Large-mouth Black Bass (micropterus Salmoides)
This North American fish has been reared in Europe since the 1880s in carp ponds and some Alpine lakes. The spiny part of its dorsal fin is lower than the back portion. It has a long body and a very deeply cleft mouth — the end of the upper jaw extends to the back edge of the eye. Its sides have a wavy black stripe and along with the belly are silver}, in colour, whilst the back is dark green. This wavy black stripe is more prominent in younger fish, while in older specimens it is usually much fainter. This fish lives in slow- flowing or stagnant and overgrown waters. In the spawning season, which is May and June, the males guard the eggs and the newly hatched fry. Young large-mouth black bass feed on plankton, but soon also begin to eat the larvae of water insects and when they arc older they start habitu.' ally catching fish and other small vertebrateS, such as frogs.
The native range of this fish is the USA and southern Canada, where it lives in the area of the Great Lakes, in the watershed of the Mississippi and southwards as far as north-eastern Mexico and Florida. In Europe it is usually 35 to 40 cm long and weighs over 2 kg, but in the south of the USA it can weigh as much as 8 kg. It has not been a successful introduction in England.
Maximum size and weight:
45 cm, 2.5 kg. klentibing characteristics: Front part of dorsal fin low and spiny, back part higher. Large mouth extends as far as back edge of eye. Wavy black stripe on sides
