Ozark bass

The Ozark bass (Ambloplites constellatus) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native only to the White River, Sac River, James River, and Pomme de Terre river drainages of Missouri and Arkansas.

Ozark bass
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Ambloplites
Species:
A. constellatus
Binomial name
Ambloplites constellatus
Cashner & Suttkus, 1977
Ozark Bass, Ambloplites constellatus, James River, Missouri, 2018

Description

The Ozark bass is a comparatively slender species of rock bass with a large eye[2] which has a red iris.[3] The brownish-green body has an irregular pattern of black-speckling.[4] This species attains a maximum total length of 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in) but they are normally around 13.3 centimetres (5.2 in) and the maximum published weight is 450 grams (0.99 lb).[5]

Distribution

The Ozark bass is native to the Ozarks upland reaches of the White River system in Missouri and Arkansas. They have been introduced elsewhere but have failed to establish populations in these areas.[6]

Habitat and biology

The Ozark bass occurs in creeks and small to medium permanent rivers with high levels of dissolved oxygen, plentiful aquatic vegetation, low turbidity and sand or rocky beds substrates with a preference for clear rocky pools close to the banks, boulders, or submerged wood. Males create nests in gravel or small stone substrates and these normally situated around a metre of cover.[1] Spawning starts when the water temperature reaches 17 °C[7] The male excavates a nest in sand or gravel which is 20–25 centimetres (7.9–9.8 in) in diameter at depths of 30–150 centimetres (12–59 in). The females lay eggs in the nest which the male guards the nest until the fry depart.[8]

Relationship with humans

They are a popular game fish in small streams and rivers. The IGFA world record for the species is a fiveway tie with fish weighing 0.45 kg (1 lb 0oz) caught from Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and the James River in Missouri.[9]

References
  1. NatureServe (2013). "Ambloplites constellatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202424A2744324. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202424A2744324.en. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. Henry W. Robison; Thomas M. Buchanan (2020). Fishes of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press. p. 578. ISBN 978-1682261033.
  3. Robert C. Cashner; Royal D. Suttkus (1977). "Ambloplites constellatus, a New Species of Rock Bass from the Ozark Upland of Arkansas and Missouri with a Review of Western Rock Bass Populations" (PDF). The American Midland Naturalist. 98 (1): 147–161. doi:10.2307/2424721. JSTOR 2424721.
  4. "Ozark bass". Rough Fishing. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  5. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Ambloplites constellatus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  6. "Ambloplites constellatus Ozark Bass". NatureServe. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  7. Jody Walters; Cynthia Annett & Gary Siegwarth (2000). "Breeding Ecology and Behavior of Ozark Bass Ambloplites Constellatus". American Midland Naturalist. 144 (2): 423–427. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2000)144[0423:BEABOO]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 3082949.
  8. Robert Jay Goldstein; Rodney W. Harper; Richard Edwards (2000). American Aquarium Fishes. Texas A&M University Press. p. 277. ISBN 0890968802.
  9. "Bass, Ozark". igfa.org. IGFA. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
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