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Species: Morone chrysops, White Bass

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

oblong
~7 stripes, lower = series short lines
lower jaw projects
tongue: central tooth patch oval, single/slight central division
A: 2nd spine < A base
LL 54-58

Morone chrysops (Rafinesque, 1820)

White Bass

Body oblong, slightly compressed; upper profile of head distinctly arched; mouth large, lower jaw projecting, top jawbone wide at rear and mostly exposed when mouth is closed; jaws with bands of small conical teeth, no canines; bands of small simple teeth on sides and front of roof of mouth; tongue with teeth along sides and an oval (sometimes slightly divided) patch in center; membranes under gills join well forward; gill rakers 19-29; rear edge of opercle with 2 flat points; preopercle rounded, finely serrated; dorsal fin notched to its base between spiny and soft parts, IX + I, 12-14; tail fin forked, heavily scaled on its base; anal fin III, 9-12, its origin well behind origin of soft dorsal fin, second spine slightly thickened and shorter than length of anal fin base when depressed, 3rd spine is 50-75% of fin length; head and body covered with small, rough scales; lateral line continuous, with 54-58 scales.

Bluish, dark green or grey above; silvery below; ~7 dark olive stripes along body, lowermost as rows of elongate dark dashes; dorsal, anal and tail fins have bluey grey outer part, pale inner part; paired fins milky white.

Reaches 45 cm; current IGFA world record 3.1 kg.

Freshwater primarily, but enters brackish water.

Depth range: 0-15 m.

Drainages of the Great Lakes, Mississippi and W to the Rio Grande.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Non Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Zooplankton
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • Data
  • No pelagic larva
  • No pelagic phase
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends North of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Temperate (>35N)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 45
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 15