How does a largemouth bass protect itself

Then a female joins the male, they circle the nest side by side. Actual spawning occurs when the male and female tilt on their sides, with their vents in close proximity, and release eggs and sperm. Individual females usually contain 2, to 7, eggs per pound of body weight, with an average of about 4, eggs per female. The female usually lays a few hundred adhesive eggs at a time. She will then move off, returning later to that nest or another nest.

Males guard the nest and the eggs during incubation. Eggs normally hatch in about 10 days at 65 F or 5 days at 80F. Fry will remain in the nest until their yolk sacs are absorbed 1 to 2 weeks and disperse when they are about 0.

The male usually remains on guard until then. The nesting period is very stressful on males, and those in poor condition before spawning may die. After swim-up, and while they are still in schools guarded by the male, fry begin feeding on zooplankton primarily cladocerans, rotifers and copepods.

At about 1. As with most fish, the growth rate of largemouth bass is highly variable and depends on food supply and environmental conditions. Largemouth can grow to more than 2 pounds their first year under ideal conditions, but in nature about 0.

Females are normally larger than males. The maximum size of the Northern largemouth is about 10 pounds, while a large female Florida largemouth may reach 20 pounds. Both record fish weighed in at 22 pounds 4 ounces. The Texas state record largemouth bass weighed Stocking: Largemouth bass are suitable for ponds larger than 1 acre.

Population management becomes difficult in ponds less than 1 acre where bass can easily become overharvested or stunted populations can develop. Largemouth bass should be stocked at a ratio with bluegill or bluegill and redear sunfish.

Once the young bass are swimming on their own Figure 2 , the male will lead them away from the nest before leaving them to return to deeper water. During the spawning season, largemouth bass do not actively feed. Most bass that are caught by anglers during this time of year are males that are aggressively defending their nests from intruders such as other fish and even fishing lures.

Largemouth bass spawning success is dependent on the males protecting the eggs and larvae Figure 3. If the male is removed from the nest, the brood will quickly be consumed by predators. In areas with heavy recreational fishing pressure during the spawn, captured males will abandon their nests due to physical stress and the loss of their broods. Largemouth bass also exhibit high levels of nest site fidelity, returning to the same spawning areas each year. This may be due to the success the male had at raising a brood in these areas in years prior.

If a male abandons the nest, they might not return to nest in the same area the following year, instead possibly opting for less ideal habitat. Over the course of a long-term study on largemouth bass spawning, William Twardek and Dr. Steven Cooke from Carleton University and Dr. David Philipp from the Illinois Natural History Survey examined the effects of angling on nest site fidelity. Long Lake is closed to the general public and has been used since to research largemouth bass nesting behaviors.

The entire littoral zone of the lake is suitable habitat for nesting with firm substrate and an abundance of structure and woody debris. Two separate experiments were conducted during the spawning season in and Learn about Largemouth Bass, including their identifying features, location, habitat and impacts. Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides are freshwater fish and members of the sunfish family.

They are a popular sport fish but can be invasive when introduced to new lakes and rivers. They are a top predators that primarily eat fish, but also feeds on insects, crustaceans and frogs. The body colour of Largemouth Bass changes with size, condition and habitat. They will be darker with more contrasting markings in clear, weedy water. In cloudy water, they are a paler green colour overall.

Their recent spread is a result of accidental introductions from live bait and unauthorized transfers between waterbodies for recreational fishing.

Largemouth Bass are native to the fresh waters of eastern-central North America, including the lower Great Lakes and some inland waters of southern Ontario. A dark stripe runs along the side of its body, but this is sometimes absent in older fish. The lower jaw of its large mouth extends well past its eye. Juveniles consume zooplankton, insects and small fish. Adults feed on insects, fish and crayfish, with sunfish often being their prey of choice.

Fish often feed in the early morning and late evening, near vegetation growing in shallow waters. Predators include yellow perch, walleye, northern pike and muskellunge, although primary predators are humans.