Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth is an important economic freshwater fish species in North America. The fish inhabits a wide range of fresh water habitats, making it one of the most common freshwater fish in the United States. Besides its economic and recreational significance as a sport fish, largemouth bass plays important ecological roles in aquatic systems and is a crucial source of human seafood. To ensure that the fish is utilized sustainably, it is important to understand various biological characteristics of largemouth bass fish species. This paper examines the habitat range, adaptation, reproduction and ecological importance of largemouth bass.

The taxonomic name of largemouth bass is Micropterus salmoides and belongs to the sunfish family (Centrarchidae). The fish has a longer upper jaw that extends beyond the rear margin of its eyes, when the mouth is closed. It is oblong shaped, compact and its upper body is dark green in color, its sides have lighter silvery-green hue while its underside is whitish. The average length of largemouth bass ranges from 10-20 inches while the mean weight of the adult fish is about 1-2 pounds. However, largemouth bass weighing between 5-13 pounds are also common. However, adult largemouth bass females are larger than the males ("Species Profile" 1).

Largemouth bass are initially from southeastern Canada and eastern United States (Species Profile" 1). However, they are currently found in most aquatic bodies across the United States. The fish mainly inhabit slow sluggish streams, lakes and ponds. However, the fish mainly prefers lakes. For favorable growth and survival of the fish, the water should be shallow, (less than 6 meters deep)s accompanied with sufficient growth of aquatic plants (Sammons, Maceina and Patridge 32; Paukert and Willis 345). Largemouth bass thrive in temperatures above 10oC. When the water temperatures falls below 10oC, the fish become inactive for a considerable duration and moves to the deeper water horizons especially during the winter ("Species Profile" 2). While in the water, largemouth bass conceal from their prey by hiding underneath logs and rocks. Since they locate their prey through their sight, they inhabit clear waters and hence they are rarely found in muddy aquatic systems. Largemouth bass require water with about 24 inches clarity to enable them locate their prey easily. Largemouth bass inhabiting rivers prefer slow moving water with moderate gradients, sufficient submerged aquatic plants and clear water. Largemouth bass do not tolerate water with solid suspensions and water bodies with sediments. Water with turbidity levels exceeding 5ppm also lowers the productivity and development of the fish. For largemouth bass to reproduce effectively, the ph of the water should range from 5 to 10("Species Profile" 2).

Largemouth bass begins reproduction when they are about ten