Black crappie

Black crappie

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Centrarchiformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Pomoxis
Species:
P. nigromaculatus
Binomial name
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
(Lesueur, 1829)
Synonyms
  • Cantharus nigromaculatus Lesueur, 1829
  • Lepomis nigromaculatus (Lesueur, 1829)
  • Pomoxis sparoides (Lacepède, 1801)
  • Centrarchus hexacanthus Valenciennes, 1831
  • Pomoxis hexacanthus (Valenciennes, 1831)

The black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae). It is endemic to North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie (P. annularis) in size, shape, and habits, except that it is darker, with a pattern of black spots. Alternate names for the species include calico bass, speck, speckled perch, speckled bass, moonfish, grass bass, strawberry bass, shiner, crawpie, oswego bass, sac-a-lait, and marigane noire.