Texas State Fish
Guadalupe Bass (common name) Micropterus treculii (scientific name) Overview Found only in Texas, the Guadalupe bass is actually not a true bass but a member of the perch family (like other "black bass" including the largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass). Guadalupe bass are smallish river fish, greenish brown in color with white bellies. They have horizontal marks on their faces and irregular diamond-shaped vertical markings along the flanks. The Guadalupe bass was declared a vulnerable species in 1988 and was adopted as the state fish of Texas in 1989. It is threatened by decreasing water levels and hybridization with smallmouth bass. To counteract the effects of hybridization (originally caused by the introduction of smallmouths by a state agency in 1974), native Guadalupe bass are being bred and reintroduced to certain streams. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 18 in (46 cm); average of 10 in (25 cm) Weight: Up to 3.5 lbs (1.7 kg); average of 12 oz (336 g) LIFESPAN Up to 7 years HABITAT Spring-fed, fast-flowing streams Range: Headwaters of the San Antonio River, the Guadalupe River (above Gonzales), the Lower Colorado River (north of Austin), and portions of the Brazos River in Texas. Introduced to the upper Nueces River system and the Sabinal River. Water type: Freshwater Water temp: 60-65°F (16-18°C) Conservation Status: Vulnerable DIET Fish, larvae, bees, wasps, and crayfish. REPRODUCTION Fertilization: Cross Spawning frequency: March-June Mating behavior: Distinct pairing Egg laying: The male builds a gravel nest in flowing water to attract a female, who will lay up to 9,000 eggs. The male then stands guard over the eggs until they are hatched. USES Sport fish OTHER NAMES Black bass, Guadalupe spotted bass TRIVIA Although it is an at-risk species, Texan anglers can still catch up to five Guadalupe bass per day with no minimum-length restriction.
	Click to enlarge an image Left Side of Guadalupe Bass Right Side of Guadalupe Bass CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Centrarchidae Genus: Micropterus Species: M. treculii
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press