Micropterus salmoides
(Lacepède, 1802)
Common Name:
Largemouth Bass
Synonyms and Other Names:
Identification:
The Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) has an elongate body that ranges in color from a silvery-white to brassy-green and occasionally to a light brown in darker water. It is camouflaged with a dark olive mottling on its dorsal surface, a broad black stripe (typically broken into a series of blotches), and greenish-black speckles along its side. The caudal fin has a dusky black edge which is most prominent in juveniles. The species has a large mouth with an upper jaw that extends back past the eye in adults, and a tongue that lacks teeth. Micropterus salmoides have 3 anal spines, 9-11 dorsal spines, typically 58-73 lateral scales, and 8 rakers on its first gill arch (Page and Burr 2011; Robins et al. 2018). Morphological descriptions are also given in Becker (1983), Etnier and Starnes (1993), Jenkins and Burkhead (1994), and Moyle (2002). Two subspecies of Largemouth Bass are recognized (Bailey and Hubbs 1949). The Florida Bass (Micropterus s. floridanus) attains a larger size than the Northern Largemouth Bass (Micropterus s. salmoides). Micropterus s. floridanus typically has 31 or more branches on the pyloric caeca (second stomach), 65-77 (typically 69-73) lateral scales, and 27-34 (typically 29-31) scales around the caudal peduncle. The Northern Largemouth Bass (Micropterus s. salmoides) typically has fewer than 28 branches on the pyloric caeca, 58-69 (typically 59-67) lateral scales, and 24-32 (typically 27-28) scales around the caudal peduncle (Robins et al. 2018).
Size:
97 cm (Robins et al. 2018).
Native Range:
Largemouth Bass are native to the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from southern Quebec to Minnesota and south to the Gulf. Its native range also includes the Atlantic Slope drainages from North Carolina to Florida, and the Gulf Slope drainages from southern Florida into northern Mexico (Page and Burr 2011).
Great Lakes Nonindigenous Occurrences:
The Largemouth Bass is reported in Arkansas (Pritchard et al. 1978); Arizona (Miller and Lowe 1967; Minckley 1973; Behnke and Benson 1980; Hendrickson et al. 1980; Tyus et al. 1982; Tilmant 1999; USFWS 2005); California (Smith 1896; Shebley 1917; Neale 1931; Moyle 1976a; Hubbs et al. 1979; Shapovalov et al. 1981; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993e, 2005; Tilmant 1999; Sommer et al. 2001; Matern et al. 2002; Bryan 1969); Colorado (Beckman 1952; Everhart and Seaman 1971; Holden and Stalnaker 1975; Behnke and Benson 1980; Tyus et al. 1982; Propst and Carlson 1986; Rasmusen 1998; Tilmant 1999); Connecticut (Behnke and Wetzel 1960; Whitworth et al. 1968; Schmidt 1986; Whitworth 1996; Tilmant 1999); Delaware (Raasch and Altemus 1991); District of Columbia (Tilmant 1999); Georgia (Pritchard et al. 1978); Hawaii (Brock 1960; Maciolek 1984); Idaho (Smith 1896; Linder 1963; Idaho Fish and Game 1990; Anonymous 2004); Illinois (Burr, personal communication); Iowa (Bailey and Allum 1962); Kansas (Cross 1967; Tilmant 1999); Kentucky (Burr and Warren 1986); Maine (Kendall 1914a; Everhart 1976; Schmidt 1986; Mallard 2003); Maryland (Ferguson 1876; Truitt et al. 1929; Tilmant 1999; Starnes et al. 2011); Massachusetts (Schmidt 1986; Hartel 1992; Hartel et al. 1996; Tilmant 1999; USFWS 2005; Grice 1956); Michigan (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.); Minnesota (Phillips et al. 1982; Tilmant 1999); Mississippi (Pritchard et al. 1978); Missouri (Pflieger 1971, 1975; Renken 2002 ); Montana (Cross et al. 1986; Holton 1990; Tilmant 1999; Mann 2004); Nebraska (Morris et al. 1974); Nevada (Miller and Alcorn 1946; La Rivers 1962; Bradley and Deacon 1967; Hubbs et al. 1974; Deacon and Williams 1984; Insider Viewpoint 2001; USFWS 2005; Vinyard 2001; Tilmant 1999); New Hampshire (Scarola 1973; Schmidt 1986); New Jersey (Nelson 1890; Fowler 1952; Soldwedel, personal communication; USFWS 2005); New Mexico (Tyus et al. 1982; Sublette et al. 1990); New York (Smith 1985; Schmidt 1986; Whittier et al. 2000; USFWS 2005); North Carolina (Menhinick 1991); North Dakota (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.; Cross et al. 1986); Oklahoma (Miller and Robison 1973); Oregon (Smith 1896; Wydoski and Whitney 1979; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1993e, 2005; Bond 1994; Logan et al. 1996; State of Oregon 2000; Anonymous 2001; Ridler 2004); Pennsylvania (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.; Copper 1983; Hocutt et al. 1986; Schmidt 1986; Tilmant 1999); Rhode Island (Lapin, personal communication); South Dakota (Bailey and Allum 1962; Cross et al. 1986); Texas (Kraai et al. 1983; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 1993; Red River Authority 2001); Utah (Smith 1896; Sharp 1898; Sigler and Miller 1963; Behnke and Benson 1980; Tyus et al. 1982; Tilmant 1999); Vermont (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.; Tilmant 1999); Virginia (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.; Hocutt et al. 1986; Jenkins and Burkhead 1994; Tilmant 1999; Starnes et al. 2011); Washington (Smith 1896; Gray and Dauble 1977; Wydoski and Whitney 1979; Tilmant 1999; USFWS 2005; Four Seasons Campground and Resort 2003); West Virginia (Stauffer et al. 1995); Wisconsin (Becker 1983); and Wyoming (Baxter and Simon 1970; Behnke and Benson 1980; Tyus et al. 1982; Cross et al. 1986; Hubert 1994; Tilmant 1999). The Largemouth Bass is also stocked in Puerto Rico (Erdsman 1984; Lee et al 1983).
Table 1. Great Lakes region nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state/province, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Micropterus salmoides are found here.
Full list of USGS occurrences
Table last updated 10/16/2024
† Populations may not be currently present.
Ecology:
Largemouth bass occupy a variety of habitats ranging from large lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, to smaller waterbodies such as swamps, ponds, and creek pools. (Claussen 2015; Page and bur 2011; Robins et al. 2018). Although they thrive in most aquatic environments, M. salmoides tend to be most abundant in warm eutrophic lakes, rivers, and reservoirs that are highly vegetated. Bass are often associated with shallow shorelines, and they are commonly concentrated in areas with submerged structure such as logs, rocks, and aquatic macrophyte beds (Claussen 2015). Largemouth Bass are opportunistic feeders that exploit a wide variety of prey. They feed predominately by sight, but also utilize their sense of smell and lateral line to capture prey (Janssen and Corcoran 1993). Because M. salmoides feed largely by sight, they prefer clear rather than turbid waters (Killgore et al. 1989; Sowa and Rabeni 1995). Largemouth Bass are voracious feeders and will consume almost any prey they can fit in their mouth and swallow whole. As adults, Largemouth bass are highly piscivorous, and they are often the dominant carnivores in the systems they inhabit (Howick and O’Brien 1983; Claussen 2015).
Means of Introduction:
Intentional stocking for sportfishing. This species is an important sportfish, and it has been stocked extensively outside of its native range for purpose of angling (Maceina and Murphy 1992; Claussen 2015).
Status:
Established in most locations.
Great Lakes Impacts:
Remarks:
This account includes introductions of both subspecies M. s. salmoides, the northern Largemouth Bass, and M. s. floridanus, the Florida Largemouth Bass. For instance, both subspecies have been introduced into Nevada (Deacon and Williams 1984). Tyus et al. (1982) gave a distribution map of the this species in the upper Colorado basin. MacCrimmon and Robbins (1975) showed a map depicting this species' native and introduced range. Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) reported the largemouth as introduced into the Roanoke drainage in Virginia. Recently prehistoric bones of M. salmoides were discovered near the Roanoke River in Roanoke, Virginia, indicating that the species is native there (Jenkins, personal communication). Introduced Florida Largemouth Bass are known to hybridize with native populations of northern Largemouth Bass (Whitmore and Hellier 1988), with introgression of Florida bass genes into populations occurring rapidly (Gelwick et al. 1995) and dispersing away from original introduction/stocking sites (Ray et al. 2012).
References
(click for full reference list)
Author:
Fuller, P., Neilson, M., and Procopio, J.
Contributing Agencies:
Revision Date:
6/21/2019
Peer Review Date:
7/23/2015
Citation for this information:
Fuller, P., Neilson, M., and Procopio, J., 2024, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède, 1802): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, and NOAA Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System, Ann Arbor, MI, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/GreatLakes/FactSheet.aspx?Species_ID=401, Revision Date: 6/21/2019, Peer Review Date: 7/23/2015, Access Date: 10/16/2024
This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.