Crappie
| Pomoxis | |
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| Black (top) & white crappie (P. nigromaculatus & P. annularis) | |
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| Genus: | Pomoxis
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P. annularis - white 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 species of this genus are known as crappies (pronounced /ˈkʰrɑ·pi/[1],[2]), and are extremely popular game fish. The genus has two species the white and black crappie. Crappie of both species are sometimes referred to as white perch, calico bass, sac-á-lait, and papermouths.
Both species of crappie feed on minnows, insects, and small crustaceans as adults, and they feed on microcrustaceans and insects as juveniles. Both species spawn in the early spring when the water temperature nears 56 degrees. Crappie create a nest in fine silt or gravel, and the nests are often congregated in very high densities in shallow waters.
Crappie are a highly regarded game fish and are often considered to be one of the best tasting freshwater fish. Fisherman generally target crappie with light tackle, using a variety of small artificial lures or live bait. Minnows are probably the most widely used bait among crappie anglers. There are many techniques anglers use to entice crappie to bite including: spider rigging, tight lining, trolling, and jigging.
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 in 53 cm (21 in), with a maximum weight of almost 2.4 kg (more than 5 lb); it can live as long as ten years.
This species prefers slower-moving water, whether a backwater of a small creek or a large lake. Some sources say the White Crappie will overpopulate in lakes less than 100-acres. White Crappie often school around structure such as submerged trees.
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. The black crappie has 7-8 spines on its dorsal fin. The number of spines on the dorsal fin, is occasionally the only way to differeniate between a juvenile black crappie and a white crappie. The black crappie tends to prefer clearer water than the white crappie does. Its native range is uncertain, since it has been so widely transplanted, but it is presumed to be similar to the white crappie's. The black crappie is also known as the strawberry bass or Oswego bass.
In some areas of the country there exists what anglers refer to as the "black-nosed crappie." It should be noted that this is not a separate species than the black, nor is it a hybrid between the white and black crappies. It is simply a black crappie with a slightly different phenotype than the typical fish.
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.
References
- FishBase: Pomoxis
- ITIS: Pomoxis
- Adams, Robert. "Pomoxis nigromaculatus: Information". Animal Diversity Web. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2000.
Dunn's Fish Farm "Types of Fish": [3]