# White Crappie (*Pomoxis annularis*) The White Crappie is a speckled fish that enjoys swimming in groups. It has a light color with dark spots! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Lakes and rivers - **Also known as:** Calico Bass, Sac-au-lait ![White Crappie](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424820/objects/4671.jpg) ## Appearance The White Crappie has a deep, compressed body with a silvery-white color and several distinct vertical black bars or spots along its sides. It possesses a spiny dorsal fin and large eyes. Its slender head points to a slightly upturned mouth. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Teleostei - **Order:** Centrarchiformes - **Family:** Centrarchidae - **Genus:** Pomoxis ## Interesting facts - A group of crappies is often called a school, and they stick together for safety. - Male crappies build and guard underwater nests to protect their eggs and young fish. - Their name 'crappie' comes from the French-Canadian word 'crapet', meaning 'small fish'. - White Crappies are sometimes called 'papermouths' because their mouths are very delicate. ## Special abilities - **Twilight Tracker:** White Crappie has large eyes that help them hunt small prey during low-light conditions at dawn and dusk. - **Camouflage Master:** White Crappie can blend into submerged logs and plants because of their mottled pattern, helping them ambush prey. - **Structure Navigator:** White Crappie has a deep, disc-shaped body that helps them turn quickly and navigate dense underwater structures. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 15-35 cm - **Weight:** 0.2-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 15 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding White Crappies are agile predators that munch on small aquatic critters they find in the water. - **Age differences:** Young crappies primarily eat zooplankton and insect larvae; adults prefer larger insects and small fish. - **Primary Foods:** small fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, zooplankton - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — Larger bass frequently prey on crappies. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Pike are apex predators that hunt crappies. - **Hunts:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Crappies feed on these tiny crustaceans. - **Hunts:** [Golden Shiner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-shiner) (*Notemigonus crysoleucas*) — Crappies prey on small minnows like shiners. ## 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 White 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 White Crappie? 15-35 cm ### How much does White Crappie weigh? 0.2-1.5 kg ### How long does White Crappie live? 5-10 years ### What does White Crappie eat? White Crappies are agile predators that munch on small aquatic critters they find in the water. ### How fast can White Crappie swim? 8 km/h ### Where is White Crappie usually found? Lakes and rivers ### How does White Crappie hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Elephant Butte Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elephant-butte-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Main–Yankee Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/main-yankee-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Olympia State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/olympia-state-forest) — Kentucky, US · Forest [View all places to see White Crappie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-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: [White Crappie: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-crappie)