Species · GBIF taxon 2394526
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatusAlso known as Calico Bass, Speckled Perch, Strawberry Bass, Sac-a-Lait
Black crappie are deep-bodied, laterally compressed sunfish decorated with an irregular mosaic of dark speckles across a silvery-olive background. They congregate in large schools near submerged timber, brush piles, and dense weed beds where they hunt small fish during low-light hours. During spring spawning, males fan out shallow nests on sandy bottoms and aggressively guard their eggs until hatching.
FreshwaterSchoolingGamefish
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Minnows
- Shad
- Aquatic Insect Larvae
Predators
- Largemouth Bass
- Northern Pike
- Great Blue Heron
ThreatsHabitat loss, water pollution, overharvest in localized waters
HabitatsClear lakes, reservoirs, ponds, slow-moving rivers
Life span7–15 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPerciformes
- FamilyCentrarchidae
- GenusPomoxis
- SpeciesPomoxis nigromaculatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Low-Light Hours: Look for active feeding behavior near dawn and dusk around aquatic vegetation.
- Submerged Cover: Search near submerged logs, dock pilings, and weed edges where schools aggregate.
- Careful Handling: Support the body beneath the belly to protect delicate skin and avoid dorsal spines.
Competitor (c) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Quinn, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Quinn · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Kristiina Hurme, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kristiina Hurme · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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