Largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans)

General data

Main name: Largemouth bass
Local names: Black bass
Climates: Subtropical, Temperate, Continental
Habitat: Freshwater
Native: North America
Introduced: Africa, Europe, Asia, South America
Distribution: Danube, Ebro, Mississippi River, Missouri River, St. Lawrence River, St. Johns River, View all... Arno, Tiber, Colorado (Texas), Brazos, Trinity (Texas), Klamath River, Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, Delaware River, Connecticut River, Lake Biwa, Savannah river, Garonne, Neuse River, James river, Guadiana, Tagus, Pee Dee river, Atchafalaya, Apalachicola, Guadalquivir, Orange river, Limpopo, Caloosahatchee, Guadalupe, Santee River, Rappahannock, Pascagoula River, Pearl river (Gulf of Mexico), Neches River, Sabine River, Nueces River, Lake Washington, Roanoke River, Santa Ynez River, Altamaha River

Classification

Genus: Micropterus - Black basses
Family: Centrarchidae - Sunfishes
Order: Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes
Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

Largemouth bass, previously Micropterus salmoides, is now the scientific name for Florida bass. Largemouth bass are now Micropterus nigricans. The largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) is a carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico. The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. The upper jaw (maxilla) of a largemouth bass extends beyond the rear margin of the orbit. The largemouth bass has been introduced into many other regions and countries due to its popularity as a sport fish and tolerance to urban environments. It causes the decline, displacement or extinctions of species in its new habitat through predation and competition, for example in Namibia. They are also an invasive species in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and are on the watch list across much of the far northern US and Canada. In colder waters, these fish are often a danger to native fish fry such as salmon and trout. They have also been blamed for the extinction of the Atitlan grebe, a large waterbird which once inhabited Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. In 2011, researchers found that in streams and rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, juvenile largemouth bass were able to demonstrate trophic plasticity, meaning that they were able to adjust their feeding habits to obtain the necessary amount of energy needed to survive. This allows them to be successful as an invasive species in relatively stable aquatic food webs. Similarly, a study done in Japan showed that the introduction of both largemouth bass and bluegill into farm ponds have caused increases in the numbers of benthic organisms, resulting from the predation on fishes, crustaceans, and nymphal odonates by the bass. The largemouth bass has been causing sharp decreases in native fish populations in Japan since 1996, especially in bitterling fish in Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma.

Catches

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
    
    Centrarchidae - Sunfishes->
    
    Micropterus - Black basses->
    
    Largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans)
    
    Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
    
    Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
    
    Chattahoochee bass (Micropterus chattahoochae)
    
    Redeye bass (Micropterus coosae)
    
    Tallapoosa bass (Micropterus tallapoosae)
    
    Shoal bass (Micropterus cataractae)
    
    Florida bass (Micropterus salmoides)
    
    Suwannee bass (Micropterus notius)
    
    Cahaba bass (Micropterus cahabae)
    
    Alabama bass (Micropterus henshalli)
    
    Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii)
    
    Warrior bass (Micropterus warriorensis)
    
    Choctaw Bass (Micropterus haiaka)
    
    Lepomis - Sunfishes->
    
    Ambloplites - Rock basses->
    
    Pomoxis - Crappies->
    
    Enneacanthus - Banded sunfishes->
    
    Centrarchus - Flier->
    
    Archoplites - Sacramento perch->
    
    Acantharchus - Mud sunfishes->
    
    Elassoma - Pygmy sunfishes->
    
    Sinipercidae - Chinese perches->
    
    Percalatidae - Australian basses->
    
    Percichthyidae - Temperate perches->
    
    Terapontidae - Grunters or Tigerperches->
    
    Girellidae - Nibblers->
    
    Dichistiidae - Galjoen fishes->
    
    Chironemidae - Kelpfishes->
    
    Latridae - Trumpeters->
    
    Scorpididae - Scorpididae->
    
    Microcanthidae - Stripeys->
    
    Kyphosidae - Sea chubs->
    
    Cirrhitoidea - Hawkfishes->
    
    Aplodactylidae - Marblefishes->
    
    Cheilodactylidae - Morwongs->
    
    Cirrhitidae - Hawkfishes->
    
    Elassomatidae - Pygmy sunfishes->
    
    Enoplosidae - Oldwife->
    
    Kuhliidae - Aholeholes->
    
    Oplegnathidae - Knifejaws->
    
    Parascorpididae - Jutjaws->
    
    Perciliidae - Southern basses->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->