The black crappie ( Pomoxis nigromaculatus) is a popular freshwater fish prized by anglers and is known for its palatable flesh. Often confused with its close relative, the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), the black crappie can be identified by its seven or eight dorsal spines, as opposed to the five or six found on the white crappie. Black crappies have irregular or mottled black splotches covering their bodies. This article delves into the diet of the black crappie, exploring what they eat at different stages of life and how their feeding habits compare to those of the white crappie.
Identifying the Black Crappie
Before diving into their diet, it's essential to accurately identify the black crappie. These fish possess a deep, laterally compressed body, giving them a round, plate-like appearance. Their coloration ranges from dark green to olive on the back, lightening to a silvery yellow-white on the stomach. Irregular dark blotches and speckles cover their sides, though these may be less visible depending on the time of year, water conditions, or the depth from which the fish is caught.
Key identification features include:
- Dorsal and anal fin spines: Seven to eight on the dorsal fin and six to eight on the anal fin.
- Soft fin rays: 17-19 anal soft fin rays and 15-16 dorsal soft fin rays.
- Markings: Irregular dark blotches and speckles, unlike the vertical bars seen on white crappie.
Black Crappie Habitat and Distribution
Historically, both black and white crappie were native to North America, primarily within the Mississippi River watershed. Their range extended from Texas to Canada in the west and from New York to Florida on the east coast. Today, these species have been widely introduced throughout the United States and Mexico, and their range now includes southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and numerous rivers and reservoirs across the lower 48 states and Mexico.
Black crappie favor warmer temperate waters with abundant aquatic vegetation. Their fin and tail length give them a slight advantage in vegetative cover compared to white crappie. They also prefer clearer waters with steep gradient structure when available. These fish are commonly found in lakes, ponds, sloughs, backwater pools, and slow-moving streams with little to no current. Black crappie are schooling fish, often gathering around deep-water structures.
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Diet of Young Black Crappie
Young black crappie, like their white crappie counterparts, primarily feed on a combination of:
- Insect larvae
- Microcrustaceans
- Zooplankton
Newly hatched larvae measure approximately 2.32 mm in length and appear translucent. They absorb their yolk sac over the first two to six days, doubling in size to about 0.2 inches. These tiny fish immediately seek refuge in vegetation or dense habitat areas once they can swim.
Diet of Adult Black Crappie
As black crappie grow, their diet shifts to include larger prey items. However, adult black crappie tend to consume smaller forage compared to white crappie. Their diet typically consists of:
- Insects
- Crustaceans
- Small fish, such as fathead minnows, shiner minnows, or small shad
The black crappie has a fairly large mouth, which may be indicative of its piscivorous (fish-eating) feeding habits.
Feeding Habits and Behavior
Black crappie often form schools and feed early in the morning. They inhabit quiet, warm temperate waters, usually associated with abundant aquatic vegetation and sandy to muddy bottoms.
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Larger individuals of the species are basically piscivorous and feed primarily on small fish. Black crappie may compete with walleye when found in the same habitat because the feeding habits of these species are very similar.
Comparison with White Crappie Diet
While both species consume similar food items, there are subtle differences in their feeding habits. The white crappie has slightly more active feeding habits compared to the black crappie. Adult white crappie will consume forage items such as fathead minnows, threadfin and gizzard shad, and even small carp, bluegill, bass, and crappie. Adult black crappies feed on fewer fish than white crappies do; instead they consume a larger volume of insects, insect larvae and crustaceans.
Factors Affecting Black Crappie Diet
Several factors can influence the diet of black crappie, including:
- Habitat: Black crappie prefer clear water and areas with abundant aquatic vegetation.
- Water Quality: They thrive in neutral to basic pH levels (6.5-8.5).
- Competition: Competition with other species, such as walleye, can affect their food sources.
- Predation: Black crappie are preyed upon by larger fish, such as largemouth bass, pike, and hybrid striped bass.
Angling for Black Crappie
Crappie are commonly caught on small jigs and minnow rigs. Unlike their cousins, the white crappies, black crappies are more commonly caught in clear water around structure. A common technique is spider rigging, in which one usually has 8 long rods protruding from the boat, all rigged with minnows. Fishermen can also troll for crappie with small cranks. When trolling, one should use electronics to locate suspending groups and bring one's lure near them. Another technique for fishing docks is dock shooting, or arrow casting. To arrow cast, one should use a spinning reel. Fishermen open their bail, hold the lure and push the rod forward so that the rod is bent. They then aim the lure where they want to cast, and they simultaneously let go of the lure and release the line.
Conservation and Management
Crappie are a difficult-to-manage species that challenge fisheries managers with missing year classes, stunted induvial size, high harvest desirability and slow growth rates. Crappie, although considered to be sport fish, have extremely slow growth rates and schooling behavior that lends themselves to being forage of other larger predatory fish.
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