| PHYLUM:
Chordata; CLASS: Osteichthyes;
SUPERORDER: Teleostei
FAMILY:
Centrarchidae
GENUS:
Ambloplites; SPECIES: rupestris; DESCRIBER:
(Rafinesque)
Position
of Ambloplites
rupestris worldwide
arrangement of fish species.
What are ROCK BASS?
Rock Bass are small,
15-25 cm (6-10 inches) in length, darkish, laterally
compressed sunfish of the freshwater family Centrarchidae.
The tops of their heads, backs and upper sides
are golden brown to olive; their lower heads, lower sides
and lower bellies are silvery. Their eyes are bright
red to orange and all scales along their lower sides
have a black spot. They are abundant in near-shore,
shallow parts of lakes and rivers from Saskatchewan
eastward to Québec.
Rock Bass eat aquatic insects, aquatic crustacea,
fish and most anything else moving. (See: Fishbase)
EARLY
LIFE HISTORY of ROCK BASS:
Spawning Season of Adult ROCK BASS:
Late spring to early summer, late April to June.
Where ROCK BASS Eggs are Found: Males dig a shallow
nest, 1/2+ meters in diameter, in water 1+ meters deep;
females lay eggs in the nests and males fertilize them;
males remain to fan and guard eggs from predators until
the babies hatch and swim out of the nest.
Characteristics
of Eggs: The eggs of ROCK BASS are demersal,
adhesive, with a single oil globule with diameter
of ca. 0.76 mm, diameter of eggs 2.0+ mm.
Size
of Babies at Hatching: ca.
5 mm at 72-96 hours of incubation.
Movements of ROCK BASS Babies after hatching: Baby
ROCK BASS hatch in nests and begin to swim around
in lakes in shallow water singly and in small numbers,
not in schools.
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