Fishes of Canada's National Capital Region

Species Accounts

Centrarchidae - Sunfishes - Achigans et Crapets

Sunfishes, basses, crappies and their relatives are found only in North American freshwaters and have about 32 species. There are 12 species in Canada and 6 in the NCR. The three most abundant species in the Rideau River were Bluegill, Pumpkinseed and Rock Bass in a survey between 1998-2000 (www.rideauvalley.on.ca/programs/rrr/rrr.html, downloaded 15 July 2002).

These fishes are characterised by continuous or notched spiny and soft dorsal fins, the spiny part lower than the soft part, 3 or more anal fin spines, thoracic pelvic fins, 5-7 branchiostegal rays, separate gill membranes, no suborbital shelf and a small, concealed or absent pseudobranch. Body shape is elongate in basses or compressed in sunfishes and crappies. Jaws and mouth cavity bones are variously armed with bands of teeth. There are also conical or molar-like throat or pharyngeal teeth. The swimbladder is not connected to the gut by a duct. Scales are ctenoid, occasionally cycloid.

Hybrids are common among sunfishes and may confuse identifications. Sunfishes are identified by body shape, and by fin ray and scale counts. One unique character used in identification is the "ear flap" or opercular flap, an extension of the upper, rear corner of the gill cover. This flap varies in shape and colour and the body edge may be smooth or crenate. The bony edge is not the obvious rear margin of the flap, which is fleshy, but is an internal structure at varying distances anterior to the rear margin.

Sunfishes build nests, usually a shallow depression excavated by tail sweeps. The male guards the eggs and young. The sunfishes (genus Lepomis) make grunt-like sounds during courtship, an important method of mate recognition. The basses are important sport fishes and a number of sunfish species are used as experimental animals, being easy to maintain in aquaria. Colours of sunfishes rival those of tropical marine fishes and they are used in the aquarium trade. In the NCR they are very common, 79.6% of fish caught in one sample from Mooney's Bay on the Rideau River being three members of this family (Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Black Crappie)(RMOC, 1995a). They have been introduced widely outside their natural range in North America and in other parts of the world.

The record of Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque, 1820), the Longear Sunfish, from the NCR in Lee et al. (1980) was an error of labeling (Coad, 1985a). However Hubbs et al. (2004) do map this species in the NCR as Lepomis peltastes Cope, 1870, the Northern Longear Sunfish, variously regarded as a synonym, a subspecies or distinct from L. megalotis by authors.

Rock Bass / Crapet de roche
Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque, 1817)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Redeye, Goggle Eye, Garguncle and Crapet aux yeux rouges.

Key Characters

This species is identified by having 6 (range 5-7) anal fin spines and 10-13 dorsal fin spines.

Description

Soft dorsal fin rays 10-13, soft anal rays 9-11 and pectoral rays 12-15. Lateral line scales 35-51. Gill rakers 14-19, including about 4 stubby rakers on the upper arch, and 6 long and 6 stubby ones on the lower arch.

Colour

The opercular or "ear flap" is short and not brightly coloured but black with a paler margin. Overall colour above brown with a golden sheen to olive or green with dark saddles and bronze blotches. The belly is silvery to dusky white. Scales below the lateral line have a dark brown spot which line up to form 8-11 or more horizontal rows. The eye is red to orange and can be seen easily from above. The red eye colour fades rapidly once the fish is removed from the water. The dorsal and anal fin spines are darker than the fin membranes. Anal spine tips are white. The pectoral fin is dusky, pale yellow to olive, and other fins are mottled black to brown with white spots or ovals posteriorly on vertical fins. Rapid colour changes from predominantly black to silvery with black blotches are not unusual. Peritoneum colourless. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larval bass.

Size

Attains 43.0 cm and 1.7 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record weighed 1.36 kg and was caught in the York River, Ontario on 1 August 1974 by Peter Gulgin.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec across southern Ontario including upper reaches of James Bay tributaries to Lake of the Woods, southern Manitoba and the Qu'Appelle River of eastern Saskatchewan. In the U.S.A. west of the Appalachian Mountains south to the Gulf Coast. Introduced both east and west of this central American range. Also introduced in England.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

Rock Bass are found in groups near rocks and docks in shallow, weedy lake margins, rivers and streams. Turbidity is tolerated. In an Ontario lake, bass were observed to school during the day at 1-7 m in rocky areas. At night they were mostly inactive and settled on rocks or logs. Tagging programmes in southern Lake Ontario show that Rock Bass may disperse 241 km from a release point, although mean distance was only 15.5 km over 238 days. In Lake Erie there is a 35-40 km migration to a spawning site. Stream populations are more sedentary. Their preferred temperature is 20.5°C. A fish kill along extensive stretches of the Rideau River and Canal was reported in spring 1956 (newspaper reports). Several Rock Bass around the Champlain Bridge caught in late June 2005 showed major body wounds, perhaps from predatory birds or possibly eels. Rock Bass were the most abundant species in Campbell's (2001) study of the Mississippi River.

Age and Growth

Life span is up to 18 years in aquaria but most live less than 13 years in nature. Life span in streams is only 5-6 years, much less than in lakes. Growth may be influenced by size of the water body inhabited. Under crowded conditions, stunted populations develop. Acid rain may cause faster growth in some lakes because less young survive to compete for food. Maturity in an Ontario river was attained at 3-4 years, in lakes at 4-9 years. However Rock Bass in the Rideau River showed age groups to 12 years although most were half this age (Setterington, 2004).

Food

Food is a variety of aquatic insects, some surface insects, crustaceans such as crayfish and small fishes such as Yellow Perch, Carp Family members and their own species. Feeding takes place in the evening (1700-2100 hours) and the morning (0930-1200 hours).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in May to June after a movement into shallow water at 16-21°C in Wisconsin. Spawning starts at about 21°C. A river dwelling population in Ontario (Thames River) began spawning earlier at lower temperatures and lasted longer than in lake populations because of flooding which repeatedly stopped breeding. The season lasted from early May to late July while in Lake Opinicon, Ontario the season is late May to mid-June. Older and larger males spawn earliest and thus have more chances to re-nest. Large males build larger nests and a nest was usually completed the day its construction was started. Nests in flowing water were elliptical, about 39-43 cm long. Lake Opinicon fish had peak reproduction at 21-33°C. The male excavates a circular nest up to about 27 cm across in gravel or swampy areas, adjacent to those of many other males, using his pectoral fins in particular as well as the anal fin. Most sunfishes use the tail to sweep debris from the nest site. Some stones are pushed to the nest rim with the open mouth in stream populations. Rooted plants are pulled outside the nest and dropped. Nests are about 1.9 times as large as the male. There is considerable competition for females. Larger males are preferred by females. Spawning males become black. A male successful in attracting a female will remain next to her while she comes to lie on her side so her genital opening is pressed against that of the male. Both fish vibrate and rock back and forth in a head to tail position. A few (3-5) eggs are shed at intervals for an hour or longer. In Lake Opinicon, Ontario about 500 eggs are laid. A nest may contain eggs from more than 1 female and females will deposit eggs in several nests. Up to 11,000 adhesive, orange to golden eggs up to 2.1 mm in diameter are produced. The male defends the eggs until they hatch and fans them with his pectoral fins. He also protects the larvae, which hatch at 4.5-5.5 mm, for 9-10 days until they leave. Males and females can then spawn again and in Lake Opinicon, 24% of males do so. Defense posture includes erect fins and an open mouth.

Importance

A favourite of young anglers since it is easily caught, taking even unbaited hooks. Small (1883) states that it will rise to the fly in the morning and evening in the NCR. It gives a good fight on light tackle and has tasty, white flesh. Rock Bass form a minor part of the commercial catch in Ontario but is combined with crappies in statistics. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Mississippi Lake and River, Rideau River, and Ottawa River. As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version.

Pumpkinseed / Crapet-soleil
Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Yellow Sunfish, Common Sunfish, Round Sunfish, Sunny, Punky, Sun Bass, Pond Perch, Bream, Flatfish, Kivvy, Yellow Belly, Tobacco Box, Quiver and Roach. Hybrids with Bluegills, and other sunfishes, are common and may even hybridise with the parents and other hybrids making identification very difficult. Hybrids with Bluegills are known from the Rideau River system in the NCR (RMOC, 2000). The name Pumpkinseed is said to be derived from the body outline resembling these seeds.

Key Characters

This species is characterised by having 9-12 dorsal fin spines, 3 anal fin spines, 35-47 lateral line scales, gill rakers are short (length about equal to width) and knob-shaped or bent, and the short opercular or "ear" flap is black with a white to yellow or orange margin and a red spot at the rear edge.

Description

Second dorsal fin soft rays 10-13, anal soft rays 8-12 and pectoral rays 11-14. Gill rakers 9-13, stubby. The length of the longest raker in adults is less than twice its basal width while in young-of-the-year it is 3-4 times. The pectoral fin reaches the front of the eye when folded forward.

Colour

The back and upper flank are brown or golden green to olive and the lower flank has wavy blue-green lines. The belly is a very distinctive and colourful orange to red-orange. The flank has 7-10 vague bars most evident in females, and is variously spotted olive, orange, red, blue or emerald. The head has alternating, wavy blue-green and orange-brown stripes on its sides and is also spotted with olive, orange or red. The red "ear" flap spot may be orange or yellow and is white in preserved fish. The dorsal spines have a black leading edge. Fin membranes are spotted brown or are black except for the pectorals which are clear to amber. The second dorsal and caudal fin membranes additionally have orange to olive spots. The pelvic fin has a white leading edge. The posterior margins of the second dorsal, anal and caudal fins are blue-green to yellow. Peritoneum silvery. Faber (1985a) illustrates a larval Pumpkinseed.

Size

Reaches 40.0 cm. The world, all-tackle angling record from Mexico, New York in 1985 weighed 0.63 kg but a fish weighing 0.85 kg is recorded from the Notawasaga River, Ontario.

Distribution

Found in southern New Brunswick, southwestern Québec, southern Ontario but not northern and western Lake Superior drainages, and southeastern Manitoba. Also on Vancouver Island, the Columbia River basin of southern British Columbia and the Oldman River drainage of Alberta as introductions. In the U.S.A. south to Georgia in the east and Ohio in the west but widely introduced elsewhere. Also introduced to Europe.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian or an Atlantic coastal refugium.

Habitat

Pumpkinseeds are extremely common and numerous in weedy bays of lakes, ponds, and slower areas in streams and rivers where the water is clear. They prefer denser vegetation than Bluegills. They are common around docks. The bottom can be sand, gravel, boulders or mud. Their distribution is centred further north than other sunfishes and they generally favour cooler waters. Their preferred temperature is 26°C. In Lac Vert, Québec north of the NCR it is the dominant species of fish in the littoral zone (Beaulieu et al., 1979). During the night they rest on the bottom, in rocky areas or near logs, become pale with prominent bars and do not feed.

Age and Growth

Life span is 10 years (12 in captivity) with maturity attained at age 1-3. Parental males mature about 1 year later than females. Stunting is not uncommon in crowded conditions and has been recorded for 14 years or more in Lac Hertel, Québec and transplants show this is environmental and not genetic. Annual mortality in Lac Vert, Québec north of the NCR is 81% between ages 4 and 7, which compares favourably with estimates from other populations (Beaulieu et al., 1979). These Lac Vert fish matured at age 3+ but were smaller at most ages than those in other studies, possibly due to the lake being oligotrophic and at the northern range limit for the species. Studies of Pumpkinseed growth in lakes suffering from acid rain shows increases because of reduced competition as young Pumpkinseed do not survive well, or conversely decreased growth because of effects on food supplies. In the Plantagenet Reach of the South Nation River an age range of 1-6 years was recorded and 2-7 years in the Spencerville Reach (Lauzon, 2003). Ages as high as 9 years are reported for fish from the Rideau River (Setterington, 2004). Growth in Kettle Island Bay of the Ottawa River was as good as, or superior to, more southerly latitudes (Hanson, 1980).

Food

Food is aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, worms, snails, salamander larvae, small fishes and some macrophytes. Young-of-the-year Pumpkinseed in the Ottawa River in Kettle Island Bay take midge larvae and water fleas and, at sizes greater than 35 mm length, snails that are crushed and the shells spat out, among a wide variety of other macrobenthic organisms, taken from late morning until just after sunset (Hanson, 1980; Hanson and Qadri, 1984). Feeding in adults involves a wide variety of foods taken during the day, with peaks at dawn and in the late afternoon, by quick darts from a tail-up, head-down position. In Lac Vert, diet consists mainly of fly larvae, water fleas, ostracods and decapod crustaceans but also included winged ants and fish among a wide variety of other organisms (Beaulieu et al., 1979). Pumpkinseeds are eaten by all larger predatory fishes including a wide variety of sport fishes. Even robins have been observed eating this fish, dipping them out of a gap in the ice in a spring seepage into a marshy creek (F. W. Schueler, pers. comm., 11 August 2004).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs form May to August when water temperatures reach values over 12.5°C and daylength exceeds 12 hours. In Dow's Lake the reproductive season starts around 16 May when the first nesting was observed and extends into mid-July (O'Toole et al., 2006). In Pink Lake of Gatineau Park, spawning was observed on a nest site on 10 June 2003 (see pictures above). Spawning in Kettle Island Bay in the Ottawa River occurred in shallow (<1.0. m) areas cleared of Elodea from the last week of June to the last week of July when temperatures exceeded 20°C (Hanson, 1980; Hanson and Qadri, 1984). Nesting activation began at 16.5°C and lasts 5-6 weeks. Other areas in the NCR have nests with eggs in early to mid-June, hatching in the last week of June. Female Pumpkinseed choose between several males so male courtship is important in increasing the probability of females visiting their nest. Larger males are preferred since they can better defend the brood against predation by snails, for example. The male excavates a nest in shallows near shore using his tail or his mouth for large objects. A nest has a shallow bowl shape about 3.5 times male length, on clay, silt, sand, gravel or rock bottoms in areas with aquatic vegetation. The male and female swim in circles, 11 per minute, nip and bang into each other. The male is vertical but the female inclines so their genital areas are in contact. Eggs and sperm are shed during the circling. Males and females spawn more than once with different partners. Cuckoldry is common where small males rush in to spawn with adults (sneakers) or mimic females (satellites) to achieve the same end. The eggs are amber, about 1.0 mm in diameter and adhesive to vegetation, hard substrate or even small particles. A large female may have as many as 7000 eggs. A nest may contain up to 14,639 eggs from several females. Larvae are 2.5-3.5 mm at hatching. The male guards and fans the eggs and watches over the young for up to 11 days, capturing strays in his mouth and putting them back in the nest. A reproductive phase, however, may occupy on average 10 days, 2 for nesting, 3 for spawning, 4 for brooding and 1 day for vacating the nest. Territory defense around a nest involves puffing out the gill covers, rushes, bites, chases and mouth-fighting. They will nip fingers placed close to the nest. The larvae live in open water beyond the littoral beds of weeds.

Importance

Pumpkinseeds are often the first fish caught by the youngest anglers and will take any live or artificial bait. Even bare hooks are attacked. They are tasty with white, flaky flesh but are seldom eaten by anglers. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Mississippi Lake and River, Rideau River, South Nation River and Ottawa River. As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version. There is a minor commercial catch in Ontario and Québec which is combined with Bluegills as "sunfishes". Commercial fisheries for these fish above and below Hull from the Québec side of the Ottawa River is documented by Pluritec (1982b). The brilliant colours of this fish make it an excellent aquarium denizen. They may be significant competitors with such sport fish as Yellow Perch as studies in Lake Memphremagog, Québec show a marked reduction in perch growth as Pumpkinseed abundance increased.

Bluegill / Crapet arlequin
Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819

Taxonomy

Other common names include Northern Bluegill Sunfish, Common Bluegill, Blue Sunfish, Sun Perch, Bream, Blue Bream, Coppernosed Bream, Pale Sunfish, Bluegill Bream, Bluemouth Sunfish, Roach, Blackear Bream, Chain-sided Sunfish, Dollardee, Strawberry Bass and Crapet à oreilles bleues. Hybrids with Pumpkinseeds are known from the Rideau River system in the NCR (RMOC, 2000).

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having 9-12, usually 10, dorsal fin spines, 3 anal fin spines, 38-50 lateral line scales, a completely black opercular or "ear" flap which has about the same length as width and has an entire bony edge (not crenate or wavy), and a black blotch at the rear of the dorsal fin base.

Description

Second dorsal fin soft rays 9-13, soft anal rays 8-12, usually 11, and pectoral rays 12-15. Gill rakers 13-16, slender and 4-5 times longer than the basal width. Hybrids with Pumpkinseeds are common in Canada and the hybrids breed with either parental form giving a complete and continuous range of characters between the 2 species. This often makes identification difficult.

Colour

The back and upper flank are green, olive or brownish to almost black with a bluish or purplish iridescence fading to a silver or white belly. The "ear" flap may have a blue anterior edge. Flanks have 5-9 vague, olive, double bands but these can be absent in large fish or fish living in turbid water. The breast is yellow. The sides of the head have a metallic green and blue sheen and the chin and lower operculum are blue. The pectoral fins are transparent and yellowish. The pelvic and anal fins may have a white anterior edge. Young have 9-12 dark flank bars. Breeding males develop a yellowish to copper-orange breast and the pelvic and anal fins become black or dusky. Breeding males show a deep reddish chest when defending the nest and young. A hump develops in front of the dorsal fin. Peritoneum silvery.

Size

Reaches 41.0 cm. Males grow about 25% larger than females. The world, all-tackle angling record from Ketona Lake, Alabama caught in 1950 weighed 2.15 kg.

Distribution

Found in southwestern Québec, southern Ontario including the Great Lakes but not northern and eastern Lake Superior, although appearing again in its western drainages. In the U.S.A. south to northeastern Mexico and Georgia west of the Appalachian Mountains and from Florida north to Virginia. Also widely introduced throughout North America as well as in Europe and South Africa. The Lac LaPêche population of this species is an introduced one (Chapleau et al., 1997) and this species appear to have become more widespread in the NCR in recent years.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

Bluegills are often found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers where there is little current, shallow water and much vegetation. Bluegills are often in small schools of 10-20 fish. They retire to deeper water in winter, or in summer if the shallows are too hot. While tolerant of some turbidity, they are intolerant of high turbidity and siltation. Their preferred temperature is 30.9°C. In the Long Reach of the Rideau River, this species comprised 41.3% of the species caught during index netting in 2000, far more than any other species (Pumpkinseed was next at 27.3%, followed by Largemouth Bass at 6.7%)(Setterington, 2000). In the Eccolands Reach of the Rideau River this value was 45% for Bluegill with Rock Bass next at 15% (Setterington, 2002).

Age and Growth

Life span is 11 years with older fish in the northern part of the range. Maturity is attained at 2-8 years for males and 3-4 years for females although some populations, especially in the south, mature at 1 year. Growth varies greatly between populations depending on various environmental factors. Stunting is not uncommon in ponds. Bluegills in the Rideau River reach 8 years of age, although most are 5 years or younger (Setterington, 2004).

Food

Food includes aquatic and flying insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, fish fry, bryozoans and algae. Growth is better when diet includes some algae. Feeding is greatest at dawn and dusk. Food may be taken in mid-water, on the bottom or at the surface, often using sight to select items. Some Bluegills have been found to contain the external fish louse in their guts. They are "cleaners", picking such parasites off other infected fish. Cleaning has been observed on Largemouth Bass. Bluegills are commonly eaten by other fishes when small.

Reproduction

Spawning peaks in late June to early July in Canada but may extend from May to August in northern populations.  In Dow's Lake the reproductive season starts around 5 June when the first colony was observed (O'Toole et al., 2006). Temperatures are usually in the range 19-27°C although Thellen (1994) gives 10°C for the Outaouais. Males excavate a shallow depression about 61 cm across on gravel, sand or mud bottoms using their caudal fins. These shallow water nests are colonial, with up to 50 in an area of radius 21 m at a traditional site. Males compete for access to central nest sites in the colonies, large ones usually winning, and females favour central sites because predation is less. Males defend their nests and eggs. Defense postures involve erected fins, butting and biting but usually stops with a rush at the intruder. A nesting colony of males, females and non-nesting males will mob a large turtle, perhaps to draw attention to its presence or to drive it away. Females arrive on the spawning ground after the males in a large school. Each female selects a male. A spawning pair swims in circles around the nest and then comes to lie side by side with the male vertical and the female inclined so their genital openings touch. Some eggs, about 30, are shed and fertilised and the circling is repeated. The tilting body behaviour of females is called a dip. Males make grunting sounds during courtship perhaps to attract females. A female can have up to 81,104 eggs. The eggs are amber, adhesive and up to 1.4 mm in diameter after water hardening. The eggs are guarded and fanned for 2-3 days, the fry for 3-4 days, after which they disperse as do the males to feed. Nests may be re-used by other males since the spawning season may extend into August. Several females lay eggs in one nest which can have about a quarter million eggs. Adults can have 2-5 brood cycles and reproduce for 2-3 years. In Lake Opinicon, Ontario bluegill colonies spawn on 8 days but these days are spread 5-7 days apart from late May to early July. Small sneaker males rush in to steal fertilisations from adults and satellite males mimic females to also cuckold the large male. DNA evidence shows that about 20% of cuckoldry spawnings are successful. The large male looks after the eggs and young while females, sneakers and satellites leave. Large males are sexually inactive until age 7 in Lake Opinicon, Ontario when they are large enough to defend nests. Sneakers and satellites mature at age 2, first being sneakers and then satellites as they become large enough to mimic females. These cuckolders do not become large, parental males. Apparently selection is acting to maintain this stable system.

Importance

Bluegills are very important sport and commercial fishes in the U.S.A., less so in Canada. In the U.S.A. it is stocked in farm ponds and reservoirs, yielding up to 330 kg/ha/year. They may be caught on flies or live bait and are excellent sport, particularly for the younger angler. Bluegills fight strongly by swimming in circles with the body broadside to the angler giving a disproportionate pull for the size of the fish. There are small commercial catches in Ontario and Québec and the flesh is white, flaky and good eating. Some consider the Bluegill as the tastiest freshwater fish. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Mississippi Lake and Rideau River. As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version.

Smallmouth Bass / Achigan à petite bouche
Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, 1802

Taxonomy

Other common names include Northern Smallmouth, Black, Brown, Gold, Green or Oswego Bass; White, Green or Mountain Trout; Bronzeback, Redeye, Smallie, Jumper and Achigan noir.

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having 67-81 lateral line scales, the upper jaw not reaching back beyond the eye and the pelvic fins are joined by a membrane.

Description

There are scales on the soft dorsal and anal fin bases. Dorsal fin spines 9-11, soft dorsal rays 12-15, anal fin with 3 spines and 10-12 soft rays. Pectoral rays 13-18. Gill rakers 6-11, 6-8 developed.

Colour

The back and upper flank are dark brown, olive or green, the flanks are lighter, yellowish with some slatey areas and with a more golden colour, and the belly is cream to white, with some dusky pigment. Flanks have 8-16 thin bars which may only be weakly developed or broken up. The eye and snout have 3 dark bars radiating backwards. The eye is orange to red. Fins are dusky with some heavier black pigment along the rays. The pectoral fin is mostly transparent. Young have strong flank bars and a characteristic yellow to orange bar at the caudal fin base with a black bar on the fin and white to yellow fin tips. The fry are conspicuously jet black. Peritoneum silvery. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larval bass.

Size

Attains 68.6 cm total length and 6.4 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record from Dale Hollow Lake, Kentucky in 1955 weighed 5.41 kg. The Ontario record as of the year 2000 weighed 4.5 kg. Small (1883) records a 5 lbs 8¾ oz (2.5 kg) fish from Lake Bernard, Taylor Lake, Gatineau Park has fish to 49.7 cm (Pluritec Ltée, 1982), the Ottawa River has bass to at least 2.24 kg (http://backwaterbass.homestead.com/ottawabbass2002~ns4.html, downloaded 9 June 2003), the Rideau River has bass to 19 inches and 4.5 lbs near Kars (www.fish-hawk.net, downloaded 16 June 2003), one weighing about 5 lbs was taken from the Rideau Canal at the Bronson Street bridge (P. Minns, pers. comm., 7 June 2004), and the Lièvre River has trophies to 2.25 kg (Campeau, 2002). A fish caught in the upper Madawaska River, outside the NCR but draining to it, was estimated to weigh 12 lbs 4 oz (5.68 kg) and was 22 inches (55.9 cm) long but had been gutted and filleted by the angler (Ottawa Citizen, 19 July 2007, p. A1 and A11, with photograph). The guts, head and fillets were retrieved and weighed.

Distribution

Found from southern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, through southwestern Québec, the southern half of Ontario including all the Great Lakes to southeast Manitoba. Also introduced in these provinces and in central Saskatchewan, central Alberta, southeastern British Columbia and southern Vancouver Island. Widely introduced in North America, Europe, the former U.S.S.R. and even Africa. They were introduced into Meach Lake in about 1908 when 28 fingerlings were released (Dymond, 1939). They have been stocked below the rapids near Britannia in the Ottawa River in September 1941, comprising 1000 fingerlings 4 inches long and 100 adults 12-14 inches long (newspaper reports). They have been stocked in the Jock River at Richmond in 1955 (newspaper reports).

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

Smallmouth Bass are found in the clear shallows of lakes and slow rivers. The bottom is mud, rock, boulders or sand. They are often located near rocks and logs. They seem to prefer temperatures in the 20s°C, cooler than Largemouth Bass, and so retreat to deeper water in summer. Another report gives 30.3°C as the preferred temperature, almost exactly the same as Largemouth Bass. They are inactive in winter. A fish kill along extensive stretches of the Rideau River and Canal was reported in spring 1956 for black bass, presumably this species or its relative (newspaper reports).

Age and Growth

Life span is 18 years. Age groups up to 14 years are recorded for the Mississippi Lake and Mississippi River at Carleton Place (Kerr, 1999c) and 12+ years in Taylor Lake, Gatineau Park (Pluritec Ltée, 1982). Females mature at 4-6 years and males at 3-5 years. Growth varies with latitude but also between populations within lakes such as Simcoe, Huron and Ontario and between oligotrophic Laurentide lakes and the richer, eutrophic waters of the Montréal plain. Bass introduced into Meach Lake in the NCR reduced the minnow population, and the numbers and weight of bass are limited by food scarcity. In the Plantagenet Reach of the South Nation River an age range of 1-6 years was recorded (Lauzon, 2003).

Food

Food is aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans (particularly crayfish) and a wide variety of fishes. Frogs and fish eggs are also eaten. Crayfish are predominant in the diet of many bass populations but habitat and availability dictate the foods eaten. Various fishes and turtles eat the smaller bass, including Lake Trout in the NCR (Séguin and Veilleux, 1970).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from May to July at about 12-24°C. In Dow's Lake the reproductive season starts around 9 May when water temperatures reach 15ºC (O'Toole et al., 2006). In lakes McArthur and Grand in the Blanche River drainage in Québec, larvae were observed in June (Séguin and Veilleux, 1970). The male excavates a nest up to 1.8 m across, but usually 60 cm, in quiet water at depths down to 6.1 m but usually about 1 m. The bottom is usually sand, gravel or rubble. Nest construction takes 4-48 hours usually and several may be built until one is deemed adequate. The bass positions itself head up in the water and lashes the tail to sweep debris from a site about twice its body length. The nest is usually close to a rock, log or rarely vegetation which afford some protection. Strong winds are particularly detrimental to nesting success. The nest site or its general area is returned to in subsequent years, up to 32% of spawners doing so in an Ontario river. Males defend the nest by displays and nipping. A female approaches the shallows from deeper water and a male will attempt to drive her to the nest. She usually retreats and the process is repeated until the female gradually stays longer with the male. The female becomes mottled once she settles over the nest. The male may nudge and gently bite the female. A spawning pair swim about the nest for 25-45 seconds before entering it and settling on the bottom. The male remains vertical but the female inclines at an angle of 45° so their genital areas come into contact. Eggs and sperm are shed in about 4-10 seconds but the process is repeated over 2 hours. The spawning period at any one location usually lasts 6-18 days and most spawning takes place in the evening. Eggs are pale yellow to amber, 3.5 mm in maximum diameter and number up to 20,825 per female. The eggs adhere to stones in the nest. Larvae are 4.5-5.5 mm at hatching. The male guards the eggs and school of young and fans the developing eggs. The male guard erects his dorsal fin spines, rigidly extends the pectoral fins and charges at any intruder. Schools of young fish disperse after 19-28 days and may be guarded this long, herded by the male. Females may spawn with other males and the male may spawn with at least 3 females. Male bass may provide care for the eggs of Longnose Gar which may be shed at night when bass are inactive. While gar benefit from the bass guarding their eggs, the bass also benefits by having large, dispersed gar eggs in its nest which may be seized preferentially by predators dashing into the nest while the male is distracted. Common Shiners may also spawn in bass nests.

Importance

This bass is a famous sport fish which has an extensive following and literature. Hooked fish fight strongly and leap, "inch for inch and pound for pound, the gamest fish that swims". It is one of the top 5 sport fishes in eastern Canada and is caught on live baits such as minnows, worms, frogs, and crayfish, on artificial lures or by fly fishing. The flesh is white, flaky and excellent eating. It may be frozen easily for later eating. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Mississippi Lake and River, Rideau River, South Nation River and Ottawa River. Environnement Québec also has recommended limits, in meals per month (1 to 8) for size of fish (small, medium or large), for such areas as Lac Deschênes at Aylmer and Quyon, Deschênes Rapids, the Ottawa River below Gatineau, above Hull, and at Masson, the Lièvre River above and below Buckingham and the Gatineau River at Chelsea, among others (www.menv.gouv.qc.ca, downloaded 13 October 2004). As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version.

Dymond (1939) records commercial catches from 1875 onward in the general vicinity of the NCR but trends cannot be determined as fisheries data is recorded from different areas at different dates. For example, in 1898 the catch was 20,998 kg in the Ottawa River from Carillon to Pontiac (Québec), the highest recorded. On the Ontario side the highest catch was recorded for Prescott and Carleton counties in 1896 at 8376 kg. A. Martel (personal communication, 2002) considers that the introduction of bass into Gatineau Park lakes, as well as depleting cyprinid populations, also led to a decline in clams that used the cyprinids in their reproductive cycle (clams produce larvae, called glochidia, that attach to a specific fish host and are thus dispersed).

Bony protrusions through the flesh seen in fish from the urban/suburban Rideau River, the Mississippi River near Carleton Place and the Ottawa River downstream of the Green Creek sewage outfall are ribs, a condition probably caused by the parasite Myxobolus cerebralis (Hopkins, 1991d; Belisle, 1999; Kerr, 1999c; RMOC, 2000; Wachelka et al., 2000).

Largemouth Bass / Achigan à grande bouche
Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Northern Largemouth, Black, Green, Bigmouth, Jumper, Mossback, Oswego, Cow, Lake, Straw, River and Mud Bass; Line Side and Green Trout.

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having 9-11 dorsal fin spines, 57-77 (usually less than 70 in Canada) lateral line scales, the upper jaw extends back beyond the eye and the pelvic fins are not joined by a membrane.

Description

There are no scales on the bases of the soft dorsal and anal fins. Second dorsal fin soft rays 11-14, anal fin with 3 spines and 10-12 soft rays and pectoral rays 13-17.Gill rakers 6-10, 7-9 developed and rudimentary on the upper arch.

Colour

The back is bright green to olive or dark green, the flanks dark to light green or sometimes golden green, and the belly is yellowish to white. The flank has a black mid-lateral stripe sometimes extending to the snout, particularly prominent in young but breaking up irregularly into blotches or even absent in adults. The upper and lower flank are irregularly spotted with dark brown, sometimes forming short stripes. The eye is golden brown. The inside of the mouth is white. Dark bars radiate from the eye and snout backwards. Pectoral fins are mostly clear or lightly pigmented. Other fins are green to olive or dusky. Young are similar to adults but have a broad black margin to the caudal fin and more mottled upper flank. Rare, golden forms of this bass occur in nature, similar to a Goldfish in colour. Peritoneum silvery.

Size

Reaches 97.0 cm and possibly 11.37 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record from Montgomery Lake, Georgia in 1932 weighed 10.09 kg. The Ontario record as of the year 2000 weighed 4.7 kg. A 5 lbs 10 oz (2.55 kg) fish is reported from the Ottawa River at Arnprior (www.bassresource.com/html/photowall5.html, downloaded 9 June 2003), a 6 lbs (2.72 kg) fish is reported from Rockland on the Ottawa River (www.fish-hawk.net, downloaded 20 May 2003), a 6.61 lb "bass", presumably this species, was caught at Rockland in the Ottawa River 2 August 2003 and "bass" of 4.45 lbs and 5.46 lbs have been taken at Taylor Park on the Rideau River on 5 July 2003 and 28 September 2003 (http://baoo.canadianangler.ca, downloaded 17 May 2004).

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec, southern Ontario and through all the Great Lakes to southeastern Manitoba. Also introduced to southern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. In the U.S.A. south to the Gulf states and widely introduced. Introduced to Europe, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. They have been stocked in the Jock River at Richmond in 1955 (newspaper reports).

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium or possibly an Atlantic coastal refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Largemouths are found in still, shallow areas of lakes and some large river bays, usually at depths less than 6 m. Small schools of 5-10 fish are common. It is less common than its relative, the Smallmouth Bass, in the NCR. Largemouth are said to be more common upriver from Manotick in the Rideau River and Canal system than downriver (P. Minns, pers. comm., 7 June 2004). Unlike the Smallmouth Bass, it favours heavy, aquatic vegetation and submerged logs, and it can survive higher temperatures, up to 38°C although it then rests in shade. Preferred temperature is 30.2°C. Young bass divide into two sub-populations in summer, one inshore and the other offshore, and this may persist through life with some mixing in spring. In the nutrient-poor, Precambrian Shield lakes of Ontario, the size of bass populations is limited by the extent of warm, weedy shallows. Aquatic macrophytes are essential for the survival of fingerlings.This bass is found on the bottom in winter and may then be caught by ice fishermen unlike the inactive Smallmouth Bass. Experimental studies show Largemouth Bass to be quiescent and non-feeding at 3°C but able to react well to a stimulus.

Age and Growth

Life span is 23 years with maturity attained at 3-5 years for females and 3-4 years for males in Canada (8 months in Cuba). Age groups up to 11 years are recorded for the Mississippi Lake and Mississippi River at Carleton Place (Kerr, 1999c) and the Rideau River (Setterington, 2004). Growth varies with locality, generally slower in the north where fish live longer. Some populations become stunted through overcrowding. Growth in Kettle Island Bay of the Ottawa River was as good as, or superior to, more southerly latitudes (Hanson, 1980).

Food

Food is a wide variety of fishes, crayfish, molluscs, frogs and large insects, with smaller insects and plankton when small. Some are recorded as having eaten leeches, salamanders, snakes, turtles and mice. Largemouths are sight feeders, taking prey at the surface around dusk and dawn and in mid-water or on the bottom during the day. They rest on the bottom at night. This species is cannibalistic. Bass catch individual minnows quite easily but were confused by schools of 8 or more fish, unless one or two members are distinctive in some way. Food items may be pursued or simply sucked in while lying in wait. Recorded foods for young bass in Kettle Island Bay of the Ottawa River are Silvery Minnows, Emerald Shiners, young-of-the-year Brown Bullheads young-of-the-year Rock Bass and some Iowa Darters, taken mostly in late morning and early afternoon (Hanson, 1980). A switch from zooplankton to fish occurred when these fish were 35 mm long. Tadpoles entered the diet at 66 mm at the end of July and were the most important food in August and the end of September.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from May to August once water temperatures reach 17°C or warmer.  In Dow's Lake the reproductive season starts around 9 May when water temperatures reach 15ºC (O'Toole et al., 2006). The male sweeps out a circular nest, a little before this temperature is attained, on gravel, sand or even mud among reeds, stumps, or water lilies. The nest bed often has roots of the vegetation exposed or other hard materials for the eggs to adhere to. The nest is up to 1 m across and 30 cm deep, about twice the bass's body length. Males are very aggressive and defend territory up to 7 m from the nest. Courtship involves parallel swimming, nudges, nips and bites. The male assumes an upright position in the nest with the female at a 45° angle so their genital areas are in contact. Eggs are scattered over the nest and even outside it. Each female can have up to 145,000, yellow and adhesive eggs with a maximum diameter of 2.0 mm. Females may spawn with several males, depositing portions of her egg complement in each nest. The male guards and fans the eggs which hatch in 3-7 days. The male also guards the pale green, free-swimming fry for as long as a month. The large swarm of young spread out as time goes by, keeping the male busy to defend them all, until they disperse. In Kettle Island Bay of the Ottawa River, bass eggs hatched on 6 June at 20ºC and fry averaged 5.0 mm in length (Hanson, 1980). Some males were still guarding fry on 29 June and 29 July so the spawning period was about 6 weeks. Golden Shiner eggs were mixed in with those of bass as this minnow shares the nest.

Importance

This bass was once commercially important in Canada but is now reserved for anglers. It is a major sport fish in eastern Canada taken with minnows, frogs, worms, both live and plastic, surface plugs and other lures. In Ontario competitive fishing tournaments "basses" ranked first among species sought at 37.4% of events (Kerr, 1999d). Bass strike strongly and fight well. Swimming ability decreases as temperature falls so anglers may find bass put up less of a fight early and late in the year. Their successful capture is made more difficult by their habitat of dense vegetation and logs. They are reputed to be very intelligent, able to distinguish a lure from the real thing after one encounter. Some "fished out" lakes are said to be really full of fish familiar with all the usual lures. Size limits are imposed in many waters to preserve the stocks. Studies on return of hooked juveniles show that most survive, with significant mortality only in fish hooked deep in the oesophagus. In the U.S.A. this fish is stocked in ponds and reservoirs for sport and for food and is probably that country's most important freshwater game fish. Warm temperatures needed for spawning and low winter oxygen levels are often limiting factors to the spread of this fish in Canada.

The flesh is flaky, white and excellent eating. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Mississippi Lake and River and Rideau River. Environnement Québec also has recommended limits, in meals per month (1 to 8) for size of fish (small, medium or large), for such areas as Lac Deschênes at Aylmer and Quyon, Deschênes Rapids, the Ottawa River below Gatineau, above Hull, and at Masson, the Lièvre River above and below Buckingham and the Gatineau River at Chelsea, among others (www.menv.gouv.qc.ca, downloaded 13 October 2004). As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version.

Black Crappie / Marigane noire
Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur, 1829)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Calico, Crapet Calico; Strawberry, Speckled, Silver, Banklick, Moon, Butter, Straw, Grass or Oswego Bass; Shiner, Moonfish, Lamplighter, Papermouth, Bitterhead, Razorback, Bachelor Perch, Tinmouth, Barfish, Specks, Slab and Mason Perch.

Key Characters

This species is characterised by usually 7-8 (range 6-9) dorsal fin spines, an anal fin base slightly longer than that of the dorsal fins, and flanks irregularly blotched with black.

Description

Second dorsal fin soft rays 14-16, anal fin with 6-7 spines and 16-19 soft rays and pectoral rays 13-15. Lateral line scales 31-44. Gill rakers slender, numbering 22-23 on the lower arch and 5-6 on the upper arch.

Colour

The overall colour is silvery with some iridescent green, the back is olive, brown or dark green, the flanks silvery green with dense black blotching, and the belly is silvery-white. Eye yellow-brown. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins have black vermiculations or "worm tracks" surrounding yellow to pale green spots or ocelli. Pectoral fins are dusky. Pelvic fins have black tips and white leading edges and are generally opaque. Breeding males become much darker and more iridescent on the head and breast. Peritoneum silvery. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larval crappie.

Size

Reaches 48.9 cm and 2.3 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record from Kerr Lake, Virginia was caught in 1981 and weighed 2.05 kg. The Ontario record from Lake Erie, as of the year 2003, weighed 1.7 kg and measured 43 cm.

Distribution

Found from extreme southwestern Québec in the St. Lawrence, Richelieu and Ottawa river basins, southern Ontario including all the Great Lakes, and southern Manitoba. Also introduced to the lower Fraser River in British Columbia. In the U.S.A. south to Florida and Texas and west to Montana but widely introduced.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

This schooling crappie is found in still waters of lakes and ponds or slow flowing, large rivers where there is abundant plant material or other cover. Areas with access to deeper water in summer and winter are preferred. It grows more slowly in turbid conditions than in clear waters. Preferred temperature is 21.7°C.

Age and Growth

Life span is 13 years with maturity attained at 1-3 years. Growth varies with the habitat and with latitude to some degree. However Ottawa River populations at the northern range limit had growth comparable to other populations, reaching an age of 8+ years, maturing at age 2+ and having a condition factor higher than most other populations (Hanson, 1980; Hanson and Qadri, 1980a). In the Plantagenet Reach of the South Nation River an age range of 2-7 years was recorded (Lauzon, 2003) and fish up to 7 years are reported from the Rideau River (Setterington, 2004).

Food

Food includes plankton, aquatic insects and fish fry when young. In the Ottawa River in Kettle Island Bay, young-of-the-year Black Crappie feed predominately on copepods and water fleas from June to September, switching to amphipods in October as they grew. Fish fry are very important at 15-30 mm length (88.6% of stomach contents at 26 mm), and the fly larva Chaoborus for crappie greater than 50 mm length, Snails and clams are fed on at 38 mm (Hanson, 1980; Hanson and Qadri, 1979; 1983). Even adults may rely principally on water fleas for food, taken by filter feeding in midwater using the numerous gill rakers, but fish become increasingly important as black crappies grow. In the Ottawa River fly larvae are the dominant food of Black Crappies 61-110 mm in total length while crappies larger than 110 mm fed on fish such as Golden Shiners, Eastern Silvery Minnows, Emerald Shiners, Pumpkinseeds, young Black Crappie and Rainbow Smelt. Stone flies were also important diet items for fish 161-210 and 261-315 mm long (Hanson and Qadri, 1980a). Stunting is not uncommon where forage fish are rare. Feeding continues through winter, an unusual habit in a sunfish. The Black Crappie is a predator on the young of sport fishes and may affect population numbers significantly. Peak feeding is between early evening and the early morning hours and in the morning around dawn. Young are diurnal and feed mostly in littoral mid-waters in the morning with a slight peak near sunset in Kettle Island Bay (Hanson, 1980).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in May to June at 13-23°C in Ontario. In the Ottawa River, Black Crappie spawn in the first week of June, a shorter spawning period than other populations, in water 0.25-6.1 m deep at 18-20°C (Hanson, 1980; Hanson and Qadri, 1980a). Males clean a rounded area in vegetated shallows or under banks. Each nest can be up to 38.1 cm across and nests occur in colonies, about 2 m apart. Each male guards his nest, fans the eggs and protects newly hatched young. Larvae are 4.0-5.0 mm at hatching. Each female spawns with more than 1 male, depositing white adhesive eggs about 0.9 mm in diameter. A female can carry up to 188,000 eggs.

Importance

This species enters into commercial catches. The flesh is white and flaky and said to be as good as the Walleye. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Rideau River, South Nation River and Ottawa River. As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version. Sport fishermen catch them on baited hooks in both summer and winter, the latter catches being under ice. Baits include minnows and insect larvae. Flies, spinners and jigs are also used.

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© Brian W. Coad (www.briancoad.com)