RE: NANFA-L-- Micropterus identification

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus-in-hotmail.com)
Tue, 18 Jul 2006 23:31:57 -0400

I'm no expert, but I'd vote in favor of most if not all of your young bass
being punctulatus rather than salmoides purely because their lateral
markings aren't-in-all like salmoides (in my humble experience).

--Bruce Stallsmith
along the now-tropical Tennessee
Huntsville, AL, US of A

>From: Dan Johnson <danjohns-in-io.com>
>Reply-To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
>Subject: NANFA-L-- Micropterus identification
>Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:08:23 -0500
>
>I'm still trying to get a handle on the Micropterus species in my area.
>For reference, check out links to what I've previously identified as
>largemouth bass:
>
>http://www.io.com/~danjohns/fish/largemouth_bass.html
>
>and spotted bass:
>
>http://www.io.com/~danjohns/fish/spotted_bass.html.
>
>The checklist of Freshwater Fish of Texas by Hubbs, et al, states that
>ratios of largest to smallest dorsal spines are as follows:
>
>2.4 to 3.9 for salmoides
>1.1 to 2.5 for punctulatus (and other species)
>
>I have annotated these ratios in the captions for all photos where they
>could be measured. All fall in the range for punctulatus.
>
>punctulatus have teeth on the tongue, salmoides usually doesn't. The
>two fish on the punctulatus page, which I have preserved, have teeth.
>The other fish are not available.
>
>The peterson guide states that young punctulatus have distinct
>tricolored tails as you can see in some of the younger specimens on the
>salmoides page. I can't remember the reference, but I read salmoides
>young have a more bicolored tail. Peterson doesn't describe the tail
>for young for salmoides.
>
>I'm starting to wonder if all the fish on my salmoides page are actually
>punctulatus. Any opinions from micropterus experts out there?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>--Dan
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