A flat-sided silvery panfish covered in dark blotches. Crappie travel in big schools and are favorite winter targets for ice anglers across the upper Midwest.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The black crappie is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae). It is endemic to North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black spots. Alternate names for the species include calico bass, speck, speckled perch, speckled bass, moonfish, grass bass, strawberry bass, shiner, crappie, oswego bass, sac-a-lait, and marigane noire.
Source: Wikipedia — Black crappie Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Round-bodied panfish; silvery body with dark blotches (vs. white crappie's vertical bars). Deep notch in dorsal fin.
Similar species. White Crappie (vertical bars). Other panfish (no blotches).
Voice. Silent.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Aquatic insects, small fish, crustaceans, plant material.
Behavior. Schooling panfish popular for ice fishing. Males build nest beds in colonies. Dramatic color shifts during spawning.
§ Range
Native to central and eastern US; stocked widely
§ Habitat
Lakes, reservoirs, slow rivers with submerged vegetation or brush
§ Threats
Eutrophication, habitat loss, invasive species especially gizzard shad outcompeting young.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the black crappie is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support submerged brush habitat. Reduce lake fertilizer runoff. Practice selective harvest.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Black crappie
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- IUCN Red List · taxon 61297
- iNaturalist · taxon 49625
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Pomoxis nigromaculatus
§ Sources cited
- American Fisheries Society
- Bass Anglers Sportsman Society
- IUCN Red List 2013
