Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Actinopteri |
Order | Centrarchiformes |
Family | Centrarchidae |
Genus | Micropterus |
Species | Micropterus salmoides |
Chinese | 似鮭赫羅魚;大口黑鱸引進;大口黑鲈 |
Environment | Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - ?; depth range 0 - 6 m (Ref. 1998). Subtropical; 10°C - 32°C (Ref. 12741); 46°N - 24°N, 125°W - 65°W (Ref. 89798) |
Size | Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 97.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 556); max. published weight: 10.1 kg (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 23 years (Ref. 46974) |
Short description | Dorsal
spines
(total): 10;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 11-14;
Anal
spines: 3;
Anal
soft rays: 10 - 12;
Vertebrae: 30 - 32. Mouth large; maxillary extending beyond the eye. Pelvic fins not joined by a membrane. Green to olive dorsally, milk-white to yellow ventrally, with a black band running from the operculum to the base of the caudal fin. Caudal fin rounded. Caudal fin with 17 rays (Ref. 2196). |
Biology | Inhabit lakes, ponds, swamps, and backwaters and pools of creeks, and small to large rivers (Ref. 86798). Usually found over mud or sand and common in impoundments (Ref. 5723). They prefer quiet, clear water and over-grown banks. Adults feed on fishes, crayfish and frogs; young feed on crustaceans, insects and small fishes. Sometimes cannibalistic. They don't feed during spawning; as well as when the water temperature is below 5°C and above 37°C (Ref. 30578). Builds nest at 25 mm-203 mm deep (Ref. 1998). An introduced species in Europe reported to avoid fast-flowing waters and to occur in estuaries with a salinity up to 13 ppt (Ref. 59043). Popular game fish in North America. Preyed upon by herons, bitterns, and kingfishers (Ref. 1998). Excellent food fish (Ref. 1998). |
Main Reference | Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798) |