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Pomoxis Rafinesque, 1818, is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie. The common name crappie (pronounced ), refers to either of the Pomoxis species, both of which are extremely popular game fish.
Both species of crappie, as adults, feed predominantly on smaller fishes, including the young of their own predators (which include the northern pike, muskellunge, and walleye). They have diverse diets, however, including zooplankton, insects, and crustaceans. By day, crappie tend to be less active and to concentrate around weed beds or submerged objects, such as logs and boulders; they feed especially at dawn and dusk, moving then into open water or approaching the shore.
The Pomoxis species are highly regarded game fishes and are often considered to be among the best tasting freshwater fishes. Because of their diverse diets, crappie may be caught in many ways, including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or artificial lures, or using bobbers. Crappie are also popular with ice-fishers, as they are active in winter.
The genus name Pomoxis derives from the Greek πώμα (cover, plug, operculum) and οξύς (sharp). The common name (also spelled croppie or crappé), derives from the Canadian French crapet, which refers to many different fishes of the family Centrarchidae. Note that the plural form of the name, crappies, tends not to be used, by analogy with fishes, except to refer to types of crappie. Other names for crappies are papermouths, calico bass, strawberry bass, and Oswego bass.
White crappie
The white crappie, Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque, 1818, is native throughout the eastern half of Canada and the United States, and has been widely introduced in the west as well.
The white crappie is generally deep-bodied and silvery in color, with darker vertical stripes. The dorsal fin of the white crappie has six spines. The maximum recorded length for a white crappie in 53.0 cm (21 in), with a maximum weight of almost 2.35 kg (more than 5.18 lb); it can live as long as ten years.
This species prefers slower-moving water, often turbid, whether a backwater of a small creek or a large lake.
When spawning, the white crappie deposits its eggs on plant surfaces or in poorly-defined nests in shallow water.
This very prolific fish may overpopulate small bodies of water under 40 ha (100 acres) in area.
Black crappie
The black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur, 1829), is very similar to P. annularis in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black spots. It is most accurately identified by the seven or eight spines on its dorsal fin. The oldest recorded age of a specimen is fifteen years, although seven years is a more typical life span for the species.
The black crappie's range is uncertain, since it has been so widely transplanted, but it is presumed to be similar to the white crappie's; as of 2005, populations existed in all of the lower 48 states.
The black crappie tends to prefer clearer water than the white crappie does. Its diet, as an adult, also tends to be less dominated by other fishes than that of the white crappie.
The breeding season varies by location, due to the species’ great range; breeding temperature is 14‒20 °C (58‒68 °F) and spawning occurs between April and June. Spawning occurs in a nest built by the male, who guards the eggs and young.
Like P. annularis, P. nigromaculatus is very prolific and can tend to overpopulate its environment, with negative consequences both for the crappie and for other fish species. A commercial supplier of the fish, however, claims that it can be safely stocked in ponds as small as one acre (0.4 ha) in area.
In some areas of the United States there exists what anglers refer to as the "black-nosed crappie." It should be noted that this is not a separate species than the black, nor is it a hybrid between the white and black crappies. It is simply a black crappie with a slightly different phenotype than the typical fish.
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