Largemouth bass perceive their environment through visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical means, as do most fish.
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Micropterus salmoides does not find itself on any of the lists of endangered species around the world. In fact the largemouth bass is one of the most successful fish, not only in its native areas, but also in freshwater areas all over the world where it has been introduced. There are certain fishing regulations that are set upon the catching of largemouth bass and these differ among regions. They involve either a limit to the number you can catch, a limit on the size that you can keep, or regulations on the season of the year in which you can catch them.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
After hatching, which usually takes from three to four days, larvae form a school that moves with the close protection of a male adult. Once the individuals reach a length of almost three centimeters they leave the school to fend for themselves. At this point, the juveniles are approximately one month in age. From this point on their growth rate occurs at different speeds throughout their lives. During the first year, largemouth bass grow from 10 to 20 centimeters in length. Growth rate decreases every year, and after about five to six years there is very little change in length.
With its many introductions all over the world, M. salmoides has had many negative impacts on the native ecosystems. Two of the main impacts are the loss of biodiversity and the homogenization of ecosystems. Introduced poplulations also influence the densities of other sport fishes like trout and walleye. These issues are currently being studied and management plans are being implemented all over the world.
Largemouth bass are important game fish. They are one of the most popular fishes to catch and they continue to bring popularity to the sport of fishing.
Positive Impacts: food ; research and education; controls pest population
Micropterus salmoides plays an important role in the ecosystem as a top predator. Top predators are important because they maintain the populations of all of the animals below them in the food chain. Their success is not limited by any specific type of prey. Instead, they prey upon a number of species, and therefore maintain the health and viability of the ecosystem.
Immature Micropterus salmoides feed on zooplankton and aquatic insects. As they grow their diet shifts to crayfish and other fish species. Sunfish are the food of choice for most adult largemouth bass.
Animal Foods: fish; insects; aquatic crustaceans; zooplankton
Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore )
Micropterus salmoides is native to eastern North America and historically ranged from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic coast to the central region of the United States. Since the beginning of the twentieth century largemouth bass have been introduced successfully all over the world.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); palearctic (Introduced ); oriental (Introduced ); ethiopian (Introduced ); neotropical (Introduced )
Other Geographic Terms: cosmopolitan
Largemouth bass prefer quiet, clear waters with abundant vegetation (Iguchi and Matsuura, 2004). More specifically, they prefer shallow water that is usually no deeper than 2.5 meters, but they sometimes occupy deeper regions. Abundant vegetation is important because it allows bass to hide from their prey and provides protection against predators. Their environment is also made up of regions of clear waters where the bass' vision can be utilized to detect prey.
Range depth: 0 to 3 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams
Largemouth bass live much longer in the wild than they do in captivity. The longest known lifespan of a wild largemouth bass was 23 years. The expected lifespan in the wild, though, is around 15 years. In captivity the longest lifespan recorded was 11 years, while the average age of death in captivity is around 6 years.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 23 (high) years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 11 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 15 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 10 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 6 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.0 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.0 years.
Micropterus salmoides has a large mouth, a notch between the two dorsal fins, and a dark stripe along the side of the body (Bailey et al., 2004). This black band is seemingly made up of small oval shapes to a closer eye. Coloration is variable, but is usually a darkish green on the back and sides, fading to an off-white on the belly. The anterior dorsal fin has nine to eleven spines while the posterior dorsal fin has twelve to fourteen rays (Boschung et al., 2004). The average weight of M. salmoides is one kilogram; however, certain individuals have reached weights of over ten kilograms. Males usually do not surpass 40 cm, while females can reach up to 56 cm in length.
Range mass: 10 (high) kg.
Average mass: .9 kg.
Range length: 56 (high) cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger
Larval and juvenile largemouth bass are prey species of yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, and muskellunge. As adults, largemouth bass can usually escape most predators. The primary predators on adult largemouth bass are humans.
Known Predators:
During the breeding season, each male prepares and builds a nest in shallow water. Nests are generally very crude in design. Once the nest is built a female swims near, and following an act of courtship, she lay her eggs in the nest.
Mating System: polyandrous
Micropterus salmoides breeds in the spring. This time is determined by the temperature of the water, which usually ends up being around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Females lay their eggs in the nests of males, and males then guard the eggs until they hatch. On average there are about 3,000 fry per nest, but as many as 6,000 have been observed (Becker, 1983). Following hatching, the schooling fry remain close to their father for at most one month (Dewoody et al., 2000). Largemouth bass females reach sexual maturity at four to five months of age, and males reach sexual maturity at three to four months of age.
Breeding interval: Largemouth bass breed once per year
Breeding season: Largemouth bass breed in the spring months (when water temperature reaches about 60 degrees Fahrenheit)
Range number of offspring: 6000 (high) .
Average number of offspring: 3000.
Range gestation period: 3 to 4 days.
Average time to independence: 1 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 4 to 5 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 to 4 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous
Female largemouth bass do not invest anything more than their gametes to their offspring. Males begin their investment by constructing nests as well as defending these nests from intruders. Once the eggs hatch males remain with their broods and defend them against all predators. This continues usually for about a month.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Protecting: Male); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Male); pre-weaning/fledging (Protecting: Male)
The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but widely introduced elsewhere.[2] It is known by a variety of regional names, such as the widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, bucketmouth, largie, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, bucketmouth bass, green trout, gilsdorf bass, Oswego bass, LMB, and southern largemouth and northern largemouth.[3] The largemouth bass is the state fish of Georgia[4] and Mississippi,[5] and the state freshwater fish of Florida[6] and Alabama.[7][8]
The largemouth bass, an olive-green to greenish-gray fish, was first described by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1802. Recent studies have concluded that the correct binomial name for the Florida bass is Labrus salmoides, while the oldest available binomial for the largemouth bass is Cuvier's Huro nigricans. The largemouth bass is the largest of the bass family, with a maximum recorded length of 29.5 inches (75 cm) and an unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg).
Their diet includes smaller fish, shad, worms, snails, crawfish, frogs, snakes, and salamanders. They prefer habitats with abundant littoral vegetation and have a lifespan of 10 to 16 years in the wild. Largemouth bass spawn in the spring when water temperatures reach above 60 °F (16 °C). They are popular among anglers for their vigorous resistance when caught.
Largemouth bass have been introduced to many regions due to their popularity as a sport fish and tolerance to urban environments. However, they have become an invasive species in some areas, causing the decline, displacement, or extinction of native species through predation and competition.
The largemouth bass was first formally described as Labrus salmoides in 1802 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède with the type locality given as the Carolinas.[9] Lacépède based his description on an illustration of a specimen collected by Louis Bosc near Charleston, South Carolina. Recent phylogenomic studies, however, place the type locality given by Lacépède as within the range of the Florida bass (M. floridanus) and outside that of the largemouth bass. This study concludes that Lacépède's name is the correct binomial for the Florida bass and that the oldest available binomial for the largemouth bass is Cuvier's Huro nigricans, which has a type locality of Lake Huron which is within the range of the largemouth bass.[10]
The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank.[11] The upper jaw (maxilla) of a largemouth bass extends beyond the rear margin of the orbit.[12] The largemouth is the largest of the black basses, reaching a maximum recorded overall length of 29.5 in (75 cm)[13] and a maximum unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg).[13] Sexual dimorphism is found, with the female larger than the male. Average lifespan in the wild is 10 to 16 years.[14]
Largemouth bass generally maintain relatively small home ranges in lakes with abundant littoral vegetation.[15] The juvenile largemouth bass consumes mostly small bait fish, scuds, water fleas,[16] copepods,[16] small shrimp, and insects. Adults consume smaller fish (bluegill, banded killifish, minnows), shad, worms, snails, crawfish, frogs, snakes, and salamanders. In larger lakes and reservoirs, adult bass occupy slightly deeper water than younger fish, and shift to a diet consisting almost entirely of smaller fish like shad, yellow perch, ciscoes, suckers, shiners, other cyprinids,[16] freshwater silversides,[17] and sunfish (such as bluegill and green sunfish).[18] It also consumes younger members of larger fish species, such as catfish, trout, walleye, white bass, striped bass, and even smaller black bass. Among the crayfish species preyed upon include Orconectes difficilis, Orconectes harrisonii, Orconectes hartfieldi, and Procambarus clarkii.[18] Prey items can be as large as 50% of the bass's body length or larger.[19]
Studies of prey utilization by largemouths show that in weedy waters, bass grow more slowly due to difficulty in acquiring prey. Less weed cover allows bass to more easily find and catch prey, but this consists of more open-water baitfish. With little or no cover, bass can devastate the prey population and starve or be stunted. Fisheries managers must consider these factors when designing regulations for specific bodies of water. Under overhead cover, such as overhanging banks, brush, or submerged structure, such as weedbeds, points, humps, ridges, and drop-offs, the largemouth bass uses its senses of hearing, sight, vibration, and smell to attack and seize its prey. Adult largemouth are generally apex predators within their habitat, but they are preyed upon by many animals while young,[20] including great blue herons, larger bass, northern pike, walleye, muskellunge, yellow perch, channel catfish, northern water snakes, crappie, common carp, and American eels.[18] Multiple species of kingfishers and bitterns feed on this bass, as well. Both the young and adult largemouths are targeted by the bald eagle.[18]
Notably in the Great Lakes Region, Micropterus salmoides along with many other species of native fish have been known to prey upon the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Remains of said fish have been found inside the stomachs of largemouth bass consistently. This feeding habit may impact the ecosystem positively, but more research must be conducted to verify this. It is illegal to use or possess live Neogobius melanostomus as bait in the Great Lakes Region.[21]
Largemouth bass usually reach sexual maturity and begin spawning when they are about a year old.[22] Spawning takes place in the spring season when the water temperature first remains continuously above 60 °F (16 °C) for a sufficient period of time. In the northern region of the United States and Canada, this usually occurs anywhere from late April until early July. In the southern states, where the largest and healthiest specimens typically inhabit, this process can begin in March and is usually over by June.[23] Males form nests by moving debris from the bottom of the body of water using their tails. These nests are usually about twice the length of the males, although this can vary.[22] Bass prefer sand, muck, or gravel bottoms, but will also use rocky and weedy bottoms where there is cover for their nest, such as roots or twigs.[24] After finishing the nest, the males swim near the nest looking for a female to mate with. After one is found, the two bass swim around the nest together, turning their bodies so that the eggs and sperm that are being released will come in contact on the way down to the nest. Bass will usually spawn twice per spring, with some spawning three or four times, although this is not as common. The male will then guard the nest until the eggs hatch, which can take about two to four days in the southern US and Northern Mexico, and slightly longer in the northern part of its native range. Finally, depending on the water temperature, the male will stay with the nest until the infant bass are ready to swim out on their own, which can be about two more weeks after they hatch. After this, the male, female, and newborns will switch to more of a summer mode, in which they then focus more on feeding.[22]
Largemouth bass are keenly sought after by anglers and are noted for the excitement of their 'fight', meaning how vigorously the fish resists being hauled into the boat or onto shore after being hooked. The fish will often become airborne in their effort to throw the hook, but many say that their cousin species, the smallmouth bass, is even more aggressive.[25] Anglers most often fish for largemouth bass with lures such as Spinnerbait, plastic worms (and other plastic baits), jigs, crankbaits, and live bait, such as worms and minnows. A recent trend is the use of large swimbaits to target trophy bass that often forage on juvenile rainbow trout in California. Fly fishing for largemouth bass may be done using both topwater and worm imitations tied with natural or synthetic materials. Other live baits, such as frogs or crawfish, can also be productive. Large golden shiners are a popular live bait used to catch trophy bass, especially when they are sluggish in the heat of summer or in the cold of winter.[26] Largemouth bass usually hang around big patches of weeds and other shallow water cover. These fish are very capable of surviving in a wide variety of climates and waters. They are perhaps one of the world's most tolerant freshwater fish.
The world record largemouth according to the IGFA is shared by Manabu Kurita and George W. Perry. Kurita's bass was caught from Lake Biwa in Japan on July 2, 2009, and weighed 10.12 kilograms (22 lb 5 oz) Perry's bass was caught on June 2, 1932, from Montgomery Lake in Georgia and weighed 10.09 kilograms (22 lb 4 oz). This record is shared because the IGFA states a new record must beat the old record by at least 2 ounces.[27]
Strong cultural pressure among largemouth bass anglers encourages the practice of catch and release, especially the larger specimens, mainly because larger specimens are usually breeding females that contribute heavily to future sport fishing stocks. Largemouth bass respond well to catch and release, with a very high survival rate after release, especially if the fish is handled with care and is loosely hooked in the side or top of the mouth. However, if the fish swallows the hook, survival odds greatly decrease. Largemouth bass have a white, slightly mushy meat, lower quality than that of the smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, crappie or walleye. Small largemouth, of 10–14 inches, can contain higher quality meat, especially during the spring.
Given largemouth bass' prevalence across North America and their accessibility to the everyday angler, largemouth bass are often viewed as an introductory fish. Fishing for largemouth bass can help beginner anglers transition away from traditional "worm on a hook" angling towards fishing with artificial lures and strategies. It is often the case that recreational fishermen become "addicted to fishing" shortly after they make largemouth bass their target species. The cultural implications of largemouth bass are quite significant, as there are even competitions and tournaments specifically targeting largemouth bass in North America.
The largemouth bass has been introduced into many other regions and countries due to its popularity as a sport fish and tolerance to urban environments. It causes the decline, displacement or extinctions of species in its new habitat through predation and competition,[28] for example in Namibia. They are also an invasive species in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and are on the watch list across much of the far northern US and Canada. In colder waters, these fish are often a danger to native fish fry such as salmon and trout.[29] They have also been blamed for the extinction of the Atitlan grebe, a large waterbird which once inhabited Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.[30] In 2011, researchers found that in streams and rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, juvenile largemouth bass were able to demonstrate trophic plasticity, meaning that they were able to adjust their feeding habits to obtain the necessary amount of energy needed to survive. This allows them to be successful as an invasive species in relatively stable aquatic food webs.[31] Similarly, a study done in Japan showed that the introduction of both largemouth bass and bluegill into farm ponds have caused increases in the numbers of benthic organisms, resulting from the predation on fishes, crustaceans, and nymphal odonates by the bass.[32] The largemouth bass has been causing sharp decreases in native fish populations in Japan since 1996, especially in bitterling fish in Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma.[33]
The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but widely introduced elsewhere. It is known by a variety of regional names, such as the widemouth bass, bigmouth bass, black bass, bucketmouth, largie, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, bucketmouth bass, green trout, gilsdorf bass, Oswego bass, LMB, and southern largemouth and northern largemouth. The largemouth bass is the state fish of Georgia and Mississippi, and the state freshwater fish of Florida and Alabama.
The largemouth bass, an olive-green to greenish-gray fish, was first described by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1802. Recent studies have concluded that the correct binomial name for the Florida bass is Labrus salmoides, while the oldest available binomial for the largemouth bass is Cuvier's Huro nigricans. The largemouth bass is the largest of the bass family, with a maximum recorded length of 29.5 inches (75 cm) and an unofficial weight of 25 pounds 1 ounce (11.4 kg).
Their diet includes smaller fish, shad, worms, snails, crawfish, frogs, snakes, and salamanders. They prefer habitats with abundant littoral vegetation and have a lifespan of 10 to 16 years in the wild. Largemouth bass spawn in the spring when water temperatures reach above 60 °F (16 °C). They are popular among anglers for their vigorous resistance when caught.
Largemouth bass have been introduced to many regions due to their popularity as a sport fish and tolerance to urban environments. However, they have become an invasive species in some areas, causing the decline, displacement, or extinction of native species through predation and competition.