The Black Crappie

The black Crappie belongs to the Centrarchidae family. Its average length is 18 to 25 cm, up to 38 cm with a weight generally varying between 300 and 900 grams. The largest specimens can reach 1kg. The all-time record comes from Missouri with a 2.26kg black crappie, while Ontario's is 1.7kg. It breeds around the end of March. Its longevity is 7 years. It is fished in April and May.
The body of this fish has the typical shape of craps and other members of the centrarchidae family, i.e. oval and flattened with thorny fins. The height of this fish represents about 33% of its length. Its color is mainly dark olive, covered with a mosaic of irregular black spots on its head, back and sometimes on its belly. The flanks are paler, but also spotty, often with silver, green or even blue highlights. The color can vary considerably depending on the environment in which the fish live. Its mouth is large, reaching to a point below the middle of the eye. The black Crappie is particularly recognizable by its large fins, which give the impression that it has sails. It has 7 to 8 spines on the dorsal fin and 6 to 7 spines on the anal fin. This is one of the main distinctions that can be made with some craps that have 10 to 12 spines on the dorsal fin. The differences between the white and black crappie are sometimes subtle. The dark spots on the black crappie are a random texture, they appear as stripes on the white crappie. The latter also has a less dark back, a longer body and, above all