# Black Crappie (*Pomoxis nigromaculatus*) The Black Crappie is a friendly fish that loves to swim in schools. It has pretty black spots all over its body! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 34 - **Habitat:** Lakes and rivers - **Also known as:** Papermouth, Speckled Perch ![Black Crappie](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426491/objects/4670.jpg) ## Appearance The Black Crappie has a deep, laterally flattened body with a silvery-white to greenish-gold color, covered in irregular black splotches. Its large dorsal fin has seven or eight sharp spines, distinguishing it from similar panfish. It possesses a large mouth and big eyes. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopteri - **Order:** Centrarchiformes - **Family:** Centrarchidae - **Genus:** Pomoxis ## Interesting facts - A single female Black Crappie can lay over 100,000 eggs in a season! - Black Crappies have huge eyes to help them spot their tiny prey in dim, murky water. - Their funny name, 'crappie,' comes from an old French-Canadian word meaning 'panfish'! - They build their nests by scraping shallow, round depressions on the lake bottom. ## Special abilities - **Camouflage Master:** Black Crappie has irregular dark spots that help them blend into mottled sunlight and aquatic plants, avoiding predators. - **Vacuum Mouth:** Black Crappie can quickly extend their mouth forward to create a powerful vacuum, sucking in small, unsuspecting prey. - **Schooling Safety:** Black Crappie often forms schools, which helps them confuse predators and makes hunting for food more efficient. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-15 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 15 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding These clever fish are hunters, eating tiny insects, crustaceans, and even small fish! - **Age differences:** Young crappie eat mostly tiny zooplankton, switching to larger insects, crustaceans, and small fish as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** zooplankton, aquatic insect larvae, small crustaceans, minnows, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Adult crappie are a food source for these larger predatory fish. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Pike are opportunistic predators that will consume crappie. - **Hunts:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Young crappie feed heavily on these small crustaceans. - **Hunts:** Midge Larvae (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Crappie commonly consume these abundant aquatic insect larvae. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black Crappie? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Black Crappie? 10-40 cm ### How much does Black Crappie weigh? 0.1-1.5 kg ### How long does Black Crappie live? 5-15 years ### What does Black Crappie eat? These clever fish are hunters, eating tiny insects, crustaceans, and even small fish! ### How fast can Black Crappie swim? 8 km/h ### Where is Black Crappie usually found? Lakes and rivers ### How does Black Crappie hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Brookfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookfield-park) — Virginia, US · Park - [Dundee Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dundee-canal) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Gloucester Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gloucester-downtown-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Camp Edwin F. Glenn](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-edwin-f-glenn) — Indiana, US · Historic Site - [Delphi Courthouse Square Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/delphi-courthouse-square-historic-district) — Indiana, US · Historic District - [Fort Benjamin Harrison](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-benjamin-harrison) — Indiana, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Black Crappie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-crappie) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Black Crappie: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crappie)