Rock Bass ; Redeye ; Goggle-eye 



mental bone well developed; lower jaw projecting; teeth on 

 vomer, palatines, and tongue; those on tongue in a single patch; 

 pharyngeal teeth sharp; branchiostegals 6; opercle ending in 2 flat 

 points; preopercle serrate at its angle; gillrakers rather long and 

 strong, dentate, fewer than 10 in number, developed only on 

 the lower portion of the arch; scales large, somewhat ctenoid; 

 lateral line complete; dorsal fin much larger than the anal, spines 

 rather low; caudal emarginate. 



Rock Bass ; Redeye ; Goggle-eye 



Ambtoplites rupestris (Rafinesque) 



The common rock bass is one of our most familiar panfishes. 

 It is found from Vermont and New York westward to Manitoba 

 and south to Louisiana and Texas. In the upper Mississippi 

 Valley and in the Great Lakes it is very abundant, and is found 

 in practically every lake, pond and stream. It is found not 

 only in the rivers, but also in the creeks and smaller streams. 

 It prefers clear, cool water, and is therefore least abundant in 

 bayous and shallow, muddy lakes. In the lakes it will be found 

 about patches of potamogeton or other aquatic vegetation. In 

 the streams it most delights to dwell in the quiet water of deep 

 holes where there are large boulders among which some water- 

 plants are growing, or about old stumps or logs where the water 

 is 3 to 6 or 8 feet deep. 



The rock bass reaches the length of 12 inches and a weight 

 of i to 1 4- pounds, though it does not usually attain this size. 

 The average weight probably does not exceed \ pound. It 

 spawns in the spring, when it constructs a nest on a gravel 

 bed where the water is moderately swift, or on a bar, if in a 

 lake. The parent fish defend the nest with much vigour. This 

 species is pre-eminently a boy's fish, though it is by no means 

 despised by anglers of maturer years, and in the Great Lakes 

 region and upper Mississippi Valley it is one of the better fishes 

 often seen on the small boy's string. 



As a game-fish it is rather disappointing. It takes the hook 

 with vim and energy and begins a most vigorous fight which, 

 however, it usually fails to keep up. It can usually be caught 

 at any season and at any time of day; good fishing may 

 be had even at night. Any kind of bait may be used, but 



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