Crappie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iPomoxis

Black (top) & white crappie
(P. nigromaculatus & P. annularis)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Centrarchidae
Genus:	Pomoxis

Species

P. annularis - white crappie
P. nigromaculatus - black crappie

Pomoxis Rafinesque, 1818, is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie. The common name crappie (pronounced /ˈkʰrɑ·pi/), <ref name="bartleby"> "Crappie". American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed.). Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> <ref name="mw"> "Crappie". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> refers to either of the Pomoxis species, both of which are extremely popular game fish.

Both species of crappie, as adults, feed predominantly on smaller fishes, including the young of their own predators (which include the northern pike, muskellunge, and walleye). They have diverse diets, however, including zooplankton, insects, and crustaceans.<ref name="fishbase_white">"Pomoxis annularis". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.</ref> <ref name="fishbase_black">"Pomoxis nigromaculatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.</ref> <ref name="adw">Adams, Robert. Pomoxis nigromaculatus: Information. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> By day, crappie tend to be less active and to concentrate around weed beds or submerged objects, such as logs and boulders; they feed especially at dawn and dusk, moving then into open water or approaching the shore.<ref name="adw">Adams, Robert. Pomoxis nigromaculatus: Information. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> <ref name="natureserve_white"> "Comprehensive Report Species - Pomoxis annularis". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref> <ref name="natureserve_black"> "Comprehensive Report Species - Pomoxis nigromaculatus". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref>

The Pomoxis species are highly regarded game fishes and are often considered to be among the best tasting freshwater fishes. Because of their diverse diets, crappie may be caught in many ways, including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or artificial lures, or using bobbers. Crappie are also popular with ice-fishers, as they are active in winter.<ref name="adw" /> <ref name="natureserve_white" /> <ref name="natureserve_black" /> <ref name="ufl">Black Crappie. Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref>

The genus name Pomoxis derives from the Greek πώμα (cover, plug, operculum) and οξύς (sharp). The common name (also spelled croppie or crappé), derives from the Canadian French crapet, which refers to many different fishes of the family Centrarchidae. Note that the plural form of the name, crappies, tends not to be used, by analogy with fishes, except to refer to types of crappie. Other names for crappies are papermouths, calico bass, strawberry bass, white perch, specks, sac-a-lait, and Oswego bass.

1 White crappie
2 Black crappie
3 References
4 Pictures

[edit] White crappie

The white crappie, Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque, 1818, is native throughout the eastern half of Canada and the United States, and has been widely introduced in the west as well.

The white crappie is generally deep-bodied and silvery in color, with darker vertical stripes. The dorsal fin of the white crappie has six spines. The maximum recorded length for a white crappie is 53.0 cm (21 in), with a maximum weight of almost 2.35 kg (more than 5.18 lb); it can live as long as ten years.<ref name="fishbase_white" />

This species prefers slower-moving water, often turbid, whether a backwater of a small creek or a large lake.

When spawning, the white crappie deposits its eggs on plant surfaces<ref name="fishbase_white" /> or in poorly-defined nests in shallow water.<ref name="natureserve_white" />

This very prolific fish may overpopulate small bodies of water under 40 ha (100 acres) in area.<ref name="dunnsfishfarm">Types of Fish: Black Crappie. Dunn’s Fish Farm. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref>

[edit] Black crappie

The black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur, 1829), is very similar to P. annularis in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black spots. It is most accurately identified by the seven or eight spines on its dorsal fin. The oldest recorded age of a specimen is fifteen years, although seven years is a more typical life span for the species.<ref name="fishbase_black" /> <ref name="adw" />

The black crappie's range is uncertain, since it has been so widely transplanted, but it is presumed to be similar to the white crappie's; as of 2005, populations existed in all of the lower 48 states.<ref name="fishbase_black" /> <ref name="tx_black">Black Crappie. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Retrieved on 2006-06-29.</ref>

The black crappie tends to prefer clearer water than the white crappie does. Its diet, as an adult, also tends to be less dominated by other fishes than that of the white crappie.<ref name="fishbase_black" /> <ref name="tx_black" />

The breeding season varies by location, due to the species’ great range; breeding temperature is 14‒20 °C (58‒68 °F) and spawning occurs between April and June.<ref name="adw" /> Spawning occurs in a nest built by the male, who guards the eggs and young.<ref name="fishbase_black" /> <ref name="natureserve_black" /> <ref name="adw" />

Like P. annularis, P. nigromaculatus is very prolific and can tend to overpopulate its environment, with negative consequences both for the crappie and for other fish species.<ref name="adw" /> A commercial supplier of the fish, however, claims that it can be safely stocked in ponds as small as one acre (0.4 ha) in area.<ref name="dunnsfishfarm" />