Oklahoma State Fish
White Bass (common name) Morone chrysops (scientific name) Overview The white bass is a common medium-sized fish native to the lakes and rivers of the Mississippi River Basin. It prefers large bodies of open water and has been widely introduced to the reservoirs of other states due to its popularity with recreational fishermen. The white bass, also called the sand bass, was adopted by Oklahoma as the official state fish in 1974, after the state had built several large dams and stocked them with the fish.  The bass has a dark, blue-green back, silver sides with six horizontal black stripes, and a white belly. One of three types of bass found in Oklahoma, the white bass is the most popular for many because it is very abundant, will bite at almost anything during the feeding frenzies of the spawning season, and is considered one of the best-tasting fish around. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 17 in (45 cm); average of 12 in (30 cm) Weight: Up to 6.8 lbs (2.7 kg); average of 1 lb (450 g) LIFESPAN Up to 9 years HABITAT White bass are generally found in large lakes, reservoirs, or big rivers with moderate currents and relatively warm water. Range: From Manitoba to Quebec in the north to New Mexico and Louisiana in the south. Introduced in several places worldwide. Found at depths of up to 100 feet (30 m) and at elevations of 4,500 ft (1,400 m). Water type: Freshwater Water temp: 40-75°F (4-24°C) Conservation Status: Least concern DIET Insect larvae, crayfish, and fish (shad, silversides, sunfish, emerald shiners) REPRODUCTION Fertilization: External Spawning frequency: Annually, in the spring Mating behavior: Group spawning Egg laying: The white bass lays hundreds of thousands of eggs in flowing tributary streams or shallow areas on lakeshores. The eggs are adhesive and stick to objects on the bottom. Eggs and hatched fry are not guarded by adults. USES Game fish OTHER NAMES Silver bass, striper, sand bass, whitey, dwarf striper, white perch, bar blanc TRIVIA The fish's species name, chrysops, means "golden eye" in Greek and refers to the color of the bass’s eyes.
	Click to enlarge an image Illustration of White Bass Natural Habitat of White Bass White Bass CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Moronidae Genus: Morone Species: M. chrysops
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press