02-28-2003, 07:57 AM
[center]Spawning[/center]
Location In backwaters of sloughs and tributaries
Season March or April through July
Temperature Exceeding 14
Substrates Clay, sand, and fine gravel near aquatic vegetation [font "Arial Unicode MS"]Life History[/font]
The native range of the black crappie is in eastern and central North America, including the Great Lakes; from Florida west to the Gulf Coast and Alabama, and north along the Atlantic Coast to Virginia ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). It has been widely planted in many states beyond its natural distribution. The black crappie was introduced into California in 1908 ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/G-references.html#Goodson_1965"][#0000ff]Goodson 1965[/#0000ff][/url]). Now the black crappie can be found in almost any warm, quiet waters in the state ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff]Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url]). In this study, black crappie were commonly found in the Delta, Suisun Bay, Montezuma Slough, and even in oligohaline San Pablo Bay during high river flows. However, at the present time, this species was not observed in the coastal creeks such as Walker Creek and Estero Americano, or in midelevation reservoirs such as Ice House Reservoir and Loon Lake. Moyle (1976) reported black crappie spawning from March or April through July. Judging from the larvae collected in this study, the breeding period was from April to June or July. Turner (1966) reported that black crappie are one of the most abundant centrarchids in the Delta, and it is possible that spawning may take place in the tidal and nontidal sloughs of the Delta. Nests are excavated by the male fish in bottoms of sand, gravel, or mud, near shores with vegetation ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/B-references.html#Breder_1936"][#0000ff]Breder 1936[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff] Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). Male fish guard the nest. Eggs hatch in 2-3 days at 18.3 C ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Merriner_1971"][#0000ff]Merriner 1971[/#0000ff][/url]). In general, the spawning behavior of the black crappie is similar to that of the white crappie ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/P-references.html#Pflieger_1975"][#0000ff] Pflieger 1975[/#0000ff][/url]). However, the early development of the black crappie is poorly described in the literature. Newly hatched larvae are unpigmented, and remain in the nest. Males continue to guard the larvae for several days and then desert the nest ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). In this study, the larvae were observed in Lindsey and Cache Sloughs and surrounding turbid irrigation ditches. Juveniles prefer quiet shallow water with patchy vegetation. Many of them were taken by beach seine in the vicinity of Wilson and Montezuma sloughs in summer months; they were also observed on the intake screens of the Oleum Power Plant. Apparently, the black crappie can tolerate water of moderately high salinity ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/L-references.html#Lebida_1969"][#0000ff]Lebida 1969[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Smith_1971"][#0000ff] Smith 1971[/#0000ff][/url]). Small young (less than 10 cm FL) feed on zooplankton ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/F-references.html#Faber_1967"][#0000ff]Faber 1967[/#0000ff][/url]) and larger ones take mostly amphipods, mysid shrimp, and other planktonic crustaceans in the estuary ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff]Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url]). Black crappie become mature in 2-4 years; the maximum life expectancy has been reported as 8-10 years ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). The black crappie is an important game fish in California. Its flesh has a good quality, and farm- raised crops have been sold in Bay area fish markets on occasion. [url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/references.html"][font "Arial Unicode MS"][#0000ff]References[/#0000ff][/font][/url]
[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/A-references.html#Adams_Hankinson_1928"][#0000ff]Adams and Hankinson 1928[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/A-references.html#Anjard_1974"][#0000ff] Anjard 1974[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/B-references.html#Breder_1936"][#0000ff] Breder 1936[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/E-references.html#Evermann_Clark_1920"][#0000ff] Evermann and Clark 1920[/#0000ff][/url]; Faber 1963, 1967;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/G-references.html#Goodson_1965"][#0000ff] Goodson 1965[/#0000ff][/url]; Hardy 1978;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/L-references.html#Lebida_1969"][#0000ff] Lebida 1969[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Merriner_1971"][#0000ff] Merriner 1971[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff] Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/P-references.html#Pflieger_1975"][#0000ff] Pflieger 1975[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff] Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]; Siefert 1969;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Smith_1971"][#0000ff] Smith 1971[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/T-references.html#Turner_1966"][#0000ff] Turner 1966[/#0000ff][/url].
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Location In backwaters of sloughs and tributaries
Season March or April through July
Temperature Exceeding 14
Substrates Clay, sand, and fine gravel near aquatic vegetation [font "Arial Unicode MS"]Life History[/font]
The native range of the black crappie is in eastern and central North America, including the Great Lakes; from Florida west to the Gulf Coast and Alabama, and north along the Atlantic Coast to Virginia ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). It has been widely planted in many states beyond its natural distribution. The black crappie was introduced into California in 1908 ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/G-references.html#Goodson_1965"][#0000ff]Goodson 1965[/#0000ff][/url]). Now the black crappie can be found in almost any warm, quiet waters in the state ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff]Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url]). In this study, black crappie were commonly found in the Delta, Suisun Bay, Montezuma Slough, and even in oligohaline San Pablo Bay during high river flows. However, at the present time, this species was not observed in the coastal creeks such as Walker Creek and Estero Americano, or in midelevation reservoirs such as Ice House Reservoir and Loon Lake. Moyle (1976) reported black crappie spawning from March or April through July. Judging from the larvae collected in this study, the breeding period was from April to June or July. Turner (1966) reported that black crappie are one of the most abundant centrarchids in the Delta, and it is possible that spawning may take place in the tidal and nontidal sloughs of the Delta. Nests are excavated by the male fish in bottoms of sand, gravel, or mud, near shores with vegetation ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/B-references.html#Breder_1936"][#0000ff]Breder 1936[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff] Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). Male fish guard the nest. Eggs hatch in 2-3 days at 18.3 C ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Merriner_1971"][#0000ff]Merriner 1971[/#0000ff][/url]). In general, the spawning behavior of the black crappie is similar to that of the white crappie ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/P-references.html#Pflieger_1975"][#0000ff] Pflieger 1975[/#0000ff][/url]). However, the early development of the black crappie is poorly described in the literature. Newly hatched larvae are unpigmented, and remain in the nest. Males continue to guard the larvae for several days and then desert the nest ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). In this study, the larvae were observed in Lindsey and Cache Sloughs and surrounding turbid irrigation ditches. Juveniles prefer quiet shallow water with patchy vegetation. Many of them were taken by beach seine in the vicinity of Wilson and Montezuma sloughs in summer months; they were also observed on the intake screens of the Oleum Power Plant. Apparently, the black crappie can tolerate water of moderately high salinity ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/L-references.html#Lebida_1969"][#0000ff]Lebida 1969[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Smith_1971"][#0000ff] Smith 1971[/#0000ff][/url]). Small young (less than 10 cm FL) feed on zooplankton ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/F-references.html#Faber_1967"][#0000ff]Faber 1967[/#0000ff][/url]) and larger ones take mostly amphipods, mysid shrimp, and other planktonic crustaceans in the estuary ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff]Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url]). Black crappie become mature in 2-4 years; the maximum life expectancy has been reported as 8-10 years ([url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff]Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]). The black crappie is an important game fish in California. Its flesh has a good quality, and farm- raised crops have been sold in Bay area fish markets on occasion. [url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/references.html"][font "Arial Unicode MS"][#0000ff]References[/#0000ff][/font][/url]
[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/A-references.html#Adams_Hankinson_1928"][#0000ff]Adams and Hankinson 1928[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/A-references.html#Anjard_1974"][#0000ff] Anjard 1974[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/B-references.html#Breder_1936"][#0000ff] Breder 1936[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/E-references.html#Evermann_Clark_1920"][#0000ff] Evermann and Clark 1920[/#0000ff][/url]; Faber 1963, 1967;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/G-references.html#Goodson_1965"][#0000ff] Goodson 1965[/#0000ff][/url]; Hardy 1978;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/L-references.html#Lebida_1969"][#0000ff] Lebida 1969[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Merriner_1971"][#0000ff] Merriner 1971[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/M-references.html#Moyle_1976"][#0000ff] Moyle 1976[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/P-references.html#Pflieger_1975"][#0000ff] Pflieger 1975[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Scott_Crossman_1973"][#0000ff] Scott and Crossman 1973[/#0000ff][/url]; Siefert 1969;[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/S-references.html#Smith_1971"][#0000ff] Smith 1971[/#0000ff][/url];[url "http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/kopec/tr9/html/T-references.html#Turner_1966"][#0000ff] Turner 1966[/#0000ff][/url].
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