Iowa DNR
BioNet
River & Stream Biological Monitoring
Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Physical Habitat Assessments

White Crappie Pomoxis annularis

Family
Centrarchidae (Sunfish)
Tolerance
Intermediate
Trophic Class
Top Carnivore
Is Exotic to Iowa?
False
Is Lithophilous Spawner?
False
Is Hybrid?
False
State Listing Status
Not Listed
Assessment Program Statistics

This species was found at 58 bioassessment sites, 2 rapid fish bioassessment sites, 38 fisheries assessment sites, and 0 fisheries presence-only assessment sites. In total, it was collected at 98 distinct sites, or 6.8% of the 1441 total sites monitored by the bioassessment program. It is the 50th most commonly collected species.

The White Crappie was collected in 70 bioassessment sampling sessions and 63 fisheries assessment sessions. It was present in 2 rapid bioassessment sessions and 0 presence-only sessions.

The biological assessment program has collected a total of 391 individual White Crappie specimens, ranking it the #75 most collected fish.

Species Characteristics

A silvery, deep-bodied, slab-sided fish with a mouth that is proportional to body size. The upper jaw reaches well past the middle of the eye when the mouth is closed. The silvery-colored body shades to green or brown on the back. There are several, usually 7 to 9, vertical dark bars on the sides, and the belly is bright silver or white. The spiny dorsal and soft dorsal fins are broadly connected without a notch between. The anal fin is usually as long and as large as the dorsal fin and has 6 spines. The dorsal fin has 6 spines and the length of its base is much less than the distance from the eye to the front of the dorsal fin. Breeding males become much darker and vividly marked during spawning; females retain their usual coloration and markings. White Crappie have a ski-slope shaped nasal structure, and the forward part of the back is strongly concave.

Species Distribution Maps

HUC12 watersheds where this species has been found