First-Year Growth of the Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacépède), and Some Related Ecological Factors

Abstract

First-year growth of largemouth bass taken from Lake George and adjoining slough, Anoka County, Minnesota, during a 4-year period was described. Illumination, water chemistry, abundance of bass fingerlings, yearlings, and other fish did not influence growth rate or total seasonˈs growth. Total length at end of season varied from 56 to 85 millimeters and was contingent upon length attained on August 1, which was directly related to total temperature experience to that date. Rates of embryo development, sac-fry growth, and fingerling growth during the first 4 weeks and again at the end of the season were directly related to the mean daily water temperature. Growth rate during the first 2 weeks after rising was directly related to amount of food in stomachs, and near the end of the season to the ratio of large organisms to small organisms. Differences in relative condition factor (Kn) between areas in a single year were directly related to stomach weight, while differences in condition among years within an area were inversely related to abundance of bass fingerlings. No differences in growth between sexes were found.