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Growth Characteristics of the Northern and Florida Subspecies of Largemouth Bass and Their Hybrid, and a Comparison of Catchability between the Subspecies
Author(s) -
Zolczynski Stephen J.,
Davies William D.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
transactions of the american fisheries society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1548-8659
pISSN - 0002-8487
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1976)105<240:gcotna>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - micropterus , bass (fish) , fishery , subspecies , biology , fishing , ecology
Nine 0.04‐hectare ponds of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station were used to evaluate growth differences among northern largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides salmoides (Lacepede), Florida largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides floridanus (Lesueur), and their hybrid. Salmoides grew faster than floridanus or the hybrid during the first summer of life. Since the environments were similar the differences in growth rates were attributed to genetic factors. The first year growth, therefore, is not the factor which contributes to the larger adult size of the Florida largemouth bass. Angling records from four other ponds indicated that floridanus was significantly more difficult to catch than salmoides. The difference is probably great enough to significantly affect the catch in heavily fished bodies of water.