Therock bass(Ambloplites rupestris), also known as therock perch,goggle-eye,red eye,andblack perch,is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red-eyed fish is aspeciesoffreshwaterfishin the sunfishfamily(Centrarchidae) oforderCentrarchiformesand can be distinguished from other similarspeciesby the six spines in the anal fin (other sunfish have only three anal fin spines).[4]
| Rock bass | |
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Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Centrarchiformes |
| Family: | Centrarchidae |
| Genus: | Ambloplites |
| Species: | A. rupestris
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| Binomial name | |
| Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque,1817)
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| Synonyms[3] | |
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Distribution
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Rock bass are native to theSt Lawrence RiverandGreat Lakessystem, the upper and middleMississippi Riverbasin inNorth AmericafromQuébectoSaskatchewanin the north down toMissouriandArkansas,south to theSavannah River,and throughout the eastern U.S. fromNew YorkthroughKentuckyandTennesseeto the northern portions ofAlabamaandGeorgiaandFloridain the south. The rock bass has also been found in theNueces Riversystem in Texas.[5][page needed]A population introduced to theLoire Riverin France between 1904 and 1910 is successfully self-sustaining, but not invasively expanding, more than 100 years later.[6]
Description
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They are similar in appearance tosmallmouth bass,but are usually quite a bit smaller. Identifying characteristics of rock bass are their two dorsal fins that have spinous and soft-rayed united portions, a large mouth, six anal spines, red eyes; rows of dark dots on their sides.[4]The mouth of a rock bass is located in the terminal position, below the snout, with small conical teeth to eat prey. The average rock bass is between 6 and 10 in (150 and 250 mm), and they rarely weigh over a pound. Few rock bass live beyond 10 to 12 years.A. rupestris,the largest and most common of theAmbloplitesspecies, has reached a maximum recorded length of 43 cm (17 in), and a maximum recorded weight of 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).[3]It can live as long as 10 years. These fish have body coloring from golden brown to olive with a white to silver colored belly and have the ability to rapidly change their color to match their surroundings. This chameleon-like trait allows them to thrive throughout their wide range.[7]
Habitat
editRock bass prefer clear, rocky, and vegetated stream pools and lake margins. Rocky banks of northeastern lakes and reservoirs are a common habitat for rock bass. Their favorite habitat contains some vegetation with rocky bottoms and cool to warm waters.[7]Rock bass species are usually found near rocky shorelines. They can be surprisingly unflustered by the presence of human activity, living under lakeside docks and near swimming areas. Rock bass are frequently seen in groups, particularly near othersunfish.[citation needed]
Diet
editLarge bass,northern pike,muskie,andwalleyeprey on young rock bass. Rock bass compete withsmallmouth bassfor food. It is carnivorous, and its diet consists of smaller fish, including their own young at times,yellow perch,and minnows, as well asinsects,andcrustaceans.Rock bass are occasionally known to take food from the surface. Adult Rock bass may eat heavily, particularly in the evening and early in the morning.[7]
Conservation
editRock bass are successfully surviving in their environments and are listed as a species of "least concern" on theIUCNRed List. Based on their population stability, rock bass do not require any special monitoring or conservation management plans. As a sport fish, rock bass are managed to some extent by regulations. There are slot limits for rock bass on some bodies of water. Artificial nesting habitat or ponds can be employed to improve rock bass populations.[8]
Reproduction
editRock bass are sexually mature at about 2 to 3 years of age. Rock bass arepolygynandrous,in which both females and males have multiple mates during the breeding season. Spawning occurs from April to early June in warm waters ranging 12–15 °C (54–59 °F), with females laying from 2,000 to 11,000 eggs.[7] Like other members of thesunfishfamily, the male will dig a nest near the lake shallows, and will aggressively guard it. A spawning area may be heavily used, with several other rock bass nests very close together.[9]As a result, males can become quite aggressive as they attempt to defend territory and attract and hold females. Rock bass lack courtship displays, so the female enters the nest and joins the male in his circular behavior. Both the female and male simultaneously release their sperm and eggs into the nest.[8]The male guards and fans the eggs, and later raises the young for a short time.[4]Rock bass are known to grow quickly.[citation needed]
IGFA records
editRock bass are consideredgame fishthroughout much of their range, theIGFAall-tackle world record for the species is a tie between 1.36 kg (3 lb 0 oz) fish caught inYork River,Ontario, Canada,andLake Erie,Pennsylvania,US, in 1974 and 1998 respectively.[10]
Misconceptions
editAmbloplites constellatus(Ozark bass), a species of rock bass from the Ozark upland of Arkansas, andAmbloplites ariommus(shadow bass) are true rock bass, but regarded as separate species.Ambloplites rupestrisis sometimes called the redeye or redeye bass inCanada,but this name refers more properly toMicropterus coosae,a distinct species ofcentrarchidnative to parts of theAmerican South. Rafinesqueoriginally assigned the rock bass toBodianus,agenusof marinewrasses(familyLabridae).[citation needed]
References
edit- ^NatureServe (2013)."Ambloplites rupestris".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2013:e.T202425A2744395.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202425A2744395.en.Retrieved19 November2021.
- ^NatureServe (2013)."Ambloplites rupestris".NatureServe Explorer.The Nature Conservancy.Retrieved5 August2024.
- ^abFroese, Rainer;Pauly, Daniel (eds.)."Ambloplipes rupestris".FishBase.December 2019 version.
- ^abc"DNR - Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris".Archived fromthe originalon 2011-09-16.
- ^Bergman, R. (1942).Fresh Water Bass.New York: Penn Publishing Corp.ISBN9781447457725..
- ^Menno Soes; Steven Cooke; H H Van Kleef; P B Broeckx; Paul Veenvliet (21 March 2010).A risk analysis of sunfishes (Centrarchidae) and pygmy sunfishes (Elassomatidae) in The Netherlands(Technical report). Bureau Waardenburg bv. p. 15. 11-042.
- ^abcd"Bass Fishing: Rock Bass".
- ^abSchnell, Brendan (2014). Powers, Karen; Martina, Leila Siciliano (eds.)."Ambloplites rupestris(Goggle eye) ".Animal Diversity Web.Retrieved19 February2023.
- ^Gross, M.; W. Nowell (1980). "The reproductive biology of rock bass,Ambloplites rupestris(Centrarchidae), in Lake Opinicon, Ontario ".Copeia(3):482–494.
- ^"Bass, rock".igfa.org.IGFA.Retrieved15 June2019.
- "Ambloplites rupestris".Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- Ellis, Jack (1993).The Sunfishes-A Fly Fishing Journey of Discovery.Bennington, VT: Abenaki Publishers, Inc.ISBN0-936644-17-6.
- Rice, F. Philip (1964).America's Favorite Fishing-A Complete Guide to Angling for Panfish.New York: Harper Row.
- Rice, F. Philip (1984).Panfishing.New York: Stackpole Books.ISBN0-943822-25-4.