General Description
The smallmouth bass is a member of the sunfish family and has the
following characteristics:
- a robust, laterally compressed body;
- a large, long, head with dark bars which radiate back from the eyes;
- a long, blunt snout with a slightly longer lower jaw;
- two joined dorsal fins which appear as one;
- the back and top of the head are brown, golden brown through olive
to green;
- the sides are lighter than the back, more golden with golden flecks
on most scales and marked by 8 - 15 pronounced to vague, thin vertical
bars;
- the underside is cream to milk-white; the pectoral fins are clear
and the others are opaque, dark to amber with some black on rays, spines
or membranes;
- the body colour is variable with size, condition and habitat: in
clear water hey are darker with pronounced, contrasting markings; and,
in turbid water they are lighter with vague markings.
Habitat and Life History
The smallmouth bass is a warm-water fish species, usually found in
rocky and sandy areas of lakes and rivers in moderately shallow water and
near rocks of shoals or submerged logs. It is less often associated with
dense growths of aquatic vegetation than largemouth bass. The smallmouth
bass spawns in late spring and early summer, usually from late May to
early July. The male builds a nest in 61 - 610 cm (2 - 20 feet) of water
on a sandy, gravel, or rocky bottom, of lakes and rivers, usually near the
protection of rocks or logs. After spawning, the male guards the nest and
fans the eggs. The eggs hatch in approximately 4 - 10 days and the young
are about 5.6 - 5.9 mm in length. After 5 - 7 days, the young begin to
leave the nest, but are guarded by the male for several days.
Food Habits
The food of the smallmouth bass is mainly composed of insects, crayfish
and fishes. The smallmouth bass takes this variety of food from the
surface, in the water column, and off the bottom. |
