Native Fishes of Ohio

8. Sunfish and Bass: Metallic Iridescence

69 Almost all of Ohio’s native basses, crappies, and sunfish belong to the Family Centrarchidae, which has over thirty North American freshwater species. They are, with one exception, native to eastern North America, extending west as far as the Rocky Mountains. Their main center of distribution is the Mississippi River Basin, though a number of species, including the banded sunfishes, are found in Atlantic and Gulf Coast drainages. Popular as sport fish, they have been introduced throughout the country. One of the defining characteristics of the Centrarchidae, painfully familiar to anglers, is a dorsal fin containing between six and thirteen spines. Sharp spines associated with the anal fins are also capable of inflicting painful wounds. Other family characteristics include ctenoid scales with toothed rear edges. Together, these make sunfish feel rough when handled. Members of the family are typically deep-bodied and laterally compressed, with the exception of the more robust basses. Ohio is home to fourteen species of centrarchids representing four genera. The genus Lepomis, identified by a prominent “ear,” which extends back from the posterior margin of the opercle, or gill cover, is the largest genus, with eight species in Ohio. Many of these, particularly longear, pumpkinseed, and orange-spotted sunfish, are known for the metallic colors their breeding males exhibit. Black basses in the genus Micropterus include the familiar largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted basses, which are among Ohio’s most popular sport fish. Rock bass in the genus Ambloplites and black and white crappies (Pomoxis) complete the list. Most are widely distributed and common in their appropriate habitat. Pumpkinseeds, warmouth sunfish, and black crappies hide in submerged Sunfish and Bass Metallic Iridescence C h a p t e r 8 70 Native Fishes of Ohio aquatic vegetation of wetlands, weedy glacial lakes, and embayments of Lake Erie. They can also be found in ponded and low-gradient sections of large streams in glaciated portions of the state. Warmouth are one of the state’s uncommon sunfish and are primarily found in northeastern Ohio, especially the Upper Cuyahoga River. Relict populations also exist in many of the state’s glacial lakes. Pumpkinseeds are abundant in the vegetated embayments of Lake Erie and in ponded streams and lakes across northern Ohio. They were commercially harvested in Lake Erie until the early twentieth century, when laws were passed prohibiting the taking of all bass and sunfish. In the past, pumpkinseeds were rare in southern Ohio. Unlike the warmouth, healthy populations gradually became established in old canal lakes, like Buckeye, Indian, and Grand Lake St. Marys. Black crappies frequent many of the same habitats as pumpkinseeds. They were not recorded in the Ohio River drainage before 1920; since then, intensive stocking of the state’s lakes and reservoirs has established large populations statewide. White crappies tolerate more turbid water than black ones. Under these conditions, with little competition from other sunfish, they can become abundant. Both species have also been extensively stocked throughout the state. Bluegill and largemouth bass also favor the lentic habitats found in the state’s lakes and larger streams. Prior to 1900 they were part of an important commercial fishery in the larger canal lakes. Like crappies, both species were extensively stocked throughout the twentieth century. Orange-spotted sunfish, a prairie stream species, moved into western Ohio as clear waters became turbid. These small sunfish are one of the state’s most colorful species, with metallic blue males covered with brilliant orange spots. Pollution-tolerant green sunfish are also abundant, found in streams, ponds, lakes, and river oxbows. Having unusually large mouths, they can take larger prey than other similar-sized sunfish. Spotted bass are restricted to the Ohio River drainage, where they are common in our rivers and streams. Longear sunfish and smallmouth and rock bass are mainly riverine, using rocky substrate. Uncommon northern longear sunfish are found in Lake Erie tributaries, especially the Auglaize and Grand Rivers while central longears are common in the Ohio River drainage. Rock bass inhabit deep holes in rivers and are common along Lake Erie’s rocky shoreline. Smallmouth bass frequent deep holes with undercut banks and woody debris. Both were important to Lake Erie’s early commercial fisheries. Historic accounts report large numbers of rock bass rising to the surface in spring to feed on swarms of emerging mayflies (Trautman 1981). Sunfish and Bass 71 All of Ohio’s centrarchids are nest-builders, with males vigorously...