White Crappie (Common Fish Species of Richmond National Battlefield)

White Crappie

Pomoxis annularis

Summary ²

The white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two crappies. Former common names include goldring and silver perch. The USS Goldring is named for the fish.

Taxon biology ³

The white crappie (pronounced croppy), Promoxis annularis, is a popular freshwater angling fish from the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, native to a central strip of North America between the Appalachians and Minnesota, as far north as Ontario and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Its current range covers most of North America, as it has been widely introduced for game purposes. Morphologically very similar to its close relative the black crappie (P. nigromaculatus), with which it shares a range, the white crappie can be definitively distinguished by having 5 or 6 dorsal spines, whereas black crappie have 7 or 8. Hardy nocturnal carnivores, white crappies live in many types of waterways (ponds, lakes, creeks and rivers, occupying turbid waters more often than does the black crappie), eating mostly other fishes and invertebrates. Like other sunfish crappies travel in schools, and build mounded nests, often together in large colonies. Both species of crappies have a high reproductive rate, are fast growing and mature within 2-3 years so are often very abundant and regularly overpopulate their environment. Reaching a common size of 7-8 inches, white crappies are the state fish of Louisiana, a mild-tasting fish considered one of the top “pan fish,” and common in Cajun cuisine.

(Texas Parks and Wildlife; Bridges; Hammerson 2009; Hammerson 2009; Wikipedia 2012(a); Wikipedia 2012(b))