Kentucky State Fish
Spotted Bass (common name) Micropterus punctulatus (scientific name) Overview The spotted bass is one of the "black basses" in the sunfish family and a highly prized sport fish for its fighting ability. It resembles a largemouth bass in color, but has a smaller mouth, like that of a smallmouth bass. The spotted bass was adopted as Kentucky's state fish in 1956. It gets its name from the irregular dark spots on its upper body. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 25 in (64 cm) Weight: Up to 10 lbs (4.6 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 7 years HABITAT Inhabits clear, warm, fairly fast-moving, small- to medium-sized streams and deep reservoirs Range: Native to the Ohio River basin and Mississippi River Basin and found across the Gulf States, from central Texas through the Florida panhandle. It has been introduced into eastern North Carolina and Virginia. Water type: Freshwater Water temp: around 75°F (24°C) Conservation Status: Secure DIET Spotted bass feed on plankton, crayfish, frogs, worms, small fish, larvae, and a variety of insects. REPRODUCTION Fertilization: External Spawning frequency: Mid April-June Mating behavior: Spawning may be in pairs or in a group. Egg laying: The male will identify a place near rock piles, brush, or other cover and make a nest by sweeping silt away with his tail to expose the rock or gravel bottom of a slow-moving river or a lake. The female then lays 1,000 to 47,000 eggs in the nest. The male fertilizes them and then guards first the eggs and then the young (the "fry") for a month after they hatch. USES Game fish OTHER NAMES Spot, Kentucky bass, Kentucky spotted bass, northern spotted bass, Wichita spotted bass, spotted black bass TRIVIA It has been determined that the spotted bass found in Alabama's Tallapoosa and Coosa Rivers are actually a distinct species, now called the "Alabama bass."
	Click to enlarge an image Illustration of Spotted Bass Spotted Bass CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Centrarchidae Genus: Micropterus Species: M. punctulatus
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