Freshwater Fishes of the Columbia Basin Return to Table of Contents Return to Species List

Introduced Fishes: Family Centrachidae (Bass and Sunfish)

Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus)	Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Lepomis=scaled gill cover gibbosus=formed like the full moon

The Pumpkinseed Sunfish is native to southeastern Canada where it prefers weedy lakeshore waters. The origin of the Pumpkinseed Sunfish in British Columbia is unknown, but its distribution seems to follow that of the Smallmouth Bass; it seems likely that these two centrachid species were introduced to British Columbia together early in the 20th C. Sunfish are considered a specious group of fish in their native range, and recent evidence suggests that this species can exhibit a variety of different phenotypic and behavioural forms (Robinson and Wilson 1996).

Pumpkinseed Sunfish are currently established in the lower Columbia, lower Kootenay, Kettle and Okanagan systems below Cascade and Okanagan falls.

Pumpkinseed Sunfish are marked by a distinct black spot on the posterior edge of their gill flap, which ends in a flat spine. The anal fin is preceded by three to four rigid spines, and it is less than half as long as the dorsal fin.

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Micropterus dolomieui (Lacépède)	Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus=small or short fin; the dorsal fin of the type specimen was damaged, which led Lacépède to mistake it for a second small fin. dolomieui=after M. Dolomieu (after whom dolomite was named); a French mineralogist and friend of Lacépède

The native distribution of Smallmouth Bass was restricted to eastern-central North America. Smallmouth Bass is a popular recreational species, and the species has been widely introduced across Africa, Canada, Europe, Russia and the United States of America. In British Columbia, Smallmouth Bass fry were first introduced in the fall of 1901 to the Kettle River system at Christina Lake to provide angling opportunities in waters deemed too warm for native trout species (RBCM collection records). Smallmouth Bass are currently established in the upper and lower Columbia River, Kettle River below Cascade Falls, and throughout the Okanagan system.

Smallmouth Bass can be identified by: an upper jaw that does not extend past the posterior margin of the eye, a banding pattern across the operculum, short spines on the leading edge of the anal fin, and the presence of a notch separating the spined and soft rayed portion of the dorsal fin.

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Micropterus salmoides (Lacépède)	Largemouth Bass
Micropterus=small or short fin; the dorsal fin of the type specimen was damaged, which led Lacépède to mistake it for a second small fin. salmoides=troutlike

The native distribution of the Largemouth Bass is similar to that of the Smallmouth Bass, and it too has been widely introduced throughout North America and globally. It has been suggested that populations of Largemouth Bass in British Columbia stem from fish that escaped from a private pond near the Kootenai River, Idaho in 1916 (Carl et al. 1967). Populations of Largemouth Bass are established in the upper and lower Kootenay, the lower Columbia and the Kettle rivers, and the waters of the Okanagan system.

Largemouth Bass can be identified by: an upper jaw extending past the posterior margin of the eye, a banding pattern across the operculum, short spines on the leading edge of the anal fin, and the presence of a notch separating the spinus and soft-rayed portion of the dorsal fin.

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Pomoxis nigromaculatus (LeSueur)	Black Crappie
Pomoxis=sharp gill cover nigromaculatus=dark-spotted

The Black Crappie is a common fish, native to eastern and central North America. It was commonly introduced into Washington and Oregon states early in the 20th C, and it is likely that these populations were the source for B.C.'s introductions. The Black Crappie is currently established in the Okanagan River below Okanagan Falls. The lateral profile of the Black Crappie is similar to that of the Pumpkinseed Sunfish; however, the Black Crappie's long anal fin and dorsal fin are approximately equal in length and five to seven fine, sharp spines precede the anal fin.