Largemouth bass
| Largemouth bass | ||||||||||||
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Largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) |
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| Micropterus salmoides | ||||||||||||
| ( Lacépède , 1802) |
The largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) is a large representative of the sunfish (Centrarchidae). It reaches a maximum length of approx. 100 centimeters, but is usually much smaller at approx. 40 - 70 centimeters. The maximum weight is around 10 kilograms. Largemouth bass feed on other fish , crustaceans, and frogs .
Appearance
Largemouth bass have a relatively elongated, laterally flattened body for sun bass. The large head makes up more than a quarter of the total length. The dorsal fin is divided into two parts, the front, hard-nosed part being lower than the rear. Young largemouth bass are olive green with a dark back, light flanks and a white belly. They have a dark, irregular longitudinal band on the flanks. Older fish turn solid, gray-green, or dark-olive.
- Fin formula : dorsal X – XI / 12–13, anal III / 10–11.
- Scale formula : SL 65–70.
distribution
The home of largemouth bass is in eastern North America , in the area of the Great Lakes , the St. Lawrence River , the Hudson Bay and the Mississippi River as far as the waters of Texas , Florida and Mexico . Largemouth bass also go in brackish water . They were introduced for fishing in many countries. Since 1883 they have also been naturalized in Europe and now live, for example, in Lake Wörthersee , Lake Kaltern and Lake Garda .
Reproduction
Largemouth bass build a spawning pit up to one meter in size in the gravel floor during the spawning season from March to July. There the female lays her eggs, which are guarded by both sexes.
literature
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
- Fritz Terofal: Steinbach's natural guide, freshwater fish. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-80014-296-1 .
Web links
- Largemouth bass on Fishbase.org (English)
- Micropterus salmoides in the Red List of Endangered Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: NatureServe, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2014.