Ecological Life History of the Warmouth (Centrarchidae)

Overpopulation among certain warm-water fishes is now commonly recognized as a cause of poor fishing in many lakes and ponds of the United States. More than a decade ago, Bennett (1944:186) suggested that perhaps some sunfish not prone to overpopulation would, with little control by man, produce good fishing over a prolonged period. This suggestion stimulated a search for a species that has a low reproductive potential, a species that does not tend to overcrowd its habitat, and yet has good sporting qualities. The warmouth, Chaenobryttus gulosiis (Cuvier), appeared to be such a species. The study of its life history and ecology presented here may serve as a basis for an estimate of the potential value of the species as a companion for bass or other game fishes in lakes and ponds of Illinois and neighboring states.