Animal profile

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

ActinopterygiiWarm, weedy lakes, ponds, reservoirs and slow river backwatersLeast Concern

Field profile

The largemouth bass is a sunfish, not a true bass, with a jaw hinge extending behind the eye. It ambushes prey among cover in warm still water and is the most sought-after freshwater sport fish in North America.

Published field notes

2024-07-15

Largemouth Bass

The largemouth bass eats by inhaling, not biting

A largemouth bass does not chase down and bite its prey. It expands the mouth cavity explosively, dropping pressure so that water and prey are drawn in together, a suction strike completed in well under a tenth of a second.

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