Cajun White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis): North America's Capable, Capricious, Captivating Freshwater Fish

Linguistic research and computer technology benefit us all, both with the answers which they provide and the questions which they raise. For example, linguistic research can explain the origins of words. Technology can help researchers compile comparative word lists faster and more accurately through the wondrous capabilities of the modern computer.

But not all controversies and mysteries can be resolved. Ambiguities exist, and imprecision continues to reign. The reason is twofold. On the one hand, there may be a lack of a clear paper trail or of irrefutable evidence. On the other hand, technology may have the answers, but may not be sufficiently advanced to provide definite responses.

Such can be said of the word fish. Research has been diligent enough that the word’s origins can be traced back to the Old High German term fisc and the Old Norse fiskr. It is suggested that the above-mentioned words passed from the Latin term piscis into the Germanic languages by way of the Proto-Germanic fiskaz. It also is thought that the Latin word traces its ultimate origins back to the Proto-Indo-European peisk.

But for the time being, both of the above-mentioned conclusions are tentative, unproven and untested. Such provisional observations nevertheless convey a clearer understanding of the word fish than of some of the names of the individual fishes. A case in point is that of the white crappie.

That white is the basic, hallmark color can be understood in the name of the white crappie. But what is meant to be conveyed by the crappie part of the name is unknown.

The white crappie’s common name: White crappie is the common name which people use in their daily routines to refer to the white crappie. It is uncertain in its etymology. A possible derivation may be from the French Canadian word crapet, in turn of unknown origin. But some suggest that the French Canadian word derives from crapoud (“toad”), because of the crappie’s big (and therefore toad-like) head and mouth.

Depending upon circumstance and locale, it may not be the only common name in use. A list of alternative common names for the white crappie will include any of the following:

• Bachelor;

• Crapet;

• Croppie;

• Papermouth;

• Silvers;
• Speck;
• Speckled perch.

The white crappie’s scientific name: Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (October 22, 1783-September 18, 1840) is credited with giving the white crappie its scientific name. Constantine’s birth occurred in the historic Turkish city of Istanbul (Constantinople), to a father from France and a mother of German descent. His death took place half a world away, in the historic Pennsylvania city of Philadelphia.

In between the two events, Constantine grew up in his paternal grandparents’ house in his father’s hometown of Marseilles, in southern France. As a merchant, his father supervised his education from a distance. The minimally tutored and predominantly self-taught Constantine was motivated to learn what was most accessible in his privileged environment: the books in languages and on sciences in his grandmother’s library.

Constantine’s boundless energy, skills and talents led him first into business and then into scientific education, investigation and writing. He retired from his successful international trading business at the age of 25. He spent the rest of his life collecting animal and plant specimens which he named and about which he wrote voluminously.

His scientific career benefited from a permanent move to the United States of America in 1815. He held a botany professorship at Transylvania University in the Kentucky bluegrass city of Lexington for 7 years, 1819-1826. He transitioned from university teaching into lifelong public lecturing and scientific publishing.

At the same time, Constantine continued to collect and name specimens. He also kept up his energetic pace of publishing his research efforts and findings. Additionally, he maintained his reputation not only as a scientist but as a linguist. His multi-lingualism in fact motivated him to contribute to cultural breakthroughs in addition to scientific advancement. For example, Constantine pioneered the following research techniques in regard to ancient cultures and languages:

• Ancient monuments throughout South America are paralleled in their architectural, cultural and engineering grandeur by the ancient earthworks of North America, most particularly in the Ohio Valley;

• Ancient Mayan can be deciphered by fluency in modern Mayan;

• Bar and dot symbols in ancient Mayan respectively designate the numbers 5 and 1;

• Taino is the language of the ancient inhabitants of modern-day Dominican Republic (la República Dominicana) and Haiti (la République d'Haïti; Repiblik Ayiti).

Constantine came up with the scientific name for the white crappie in 1818. He made his decision based upon a specimen from the Ohio River. With that specimen in hand, he wrote out the first official description and scientific designation for the white crappie.

The scientific name of the white crappie is Pomoxis (Greek: πώμα, poma, “cover,” “operculum,” “plug” + οξύς, oxys, “sharp”) + annularis (Latin: “having rings”). The first name, Pomoxis, references the spines which occur on the gill covers. The second name, annularis, refers to the dark bands which partially circle the body.

The white crappie’s homeland: The white crappie is native to the following freshwater areas of North America:

• Great Lakes region in its southern extension;

• Hudson Bay and Red River system;

• Mississippi and Missouri River basins;

• Water bodies draining into the Gulf of Mexico.

It therefore will be found naturally in southeastern Canada in the province of Ontario. It also will occur natively in select water bodies in eastern and non-coastal areas of the United States of America.

It is possible that the white crappie is an introduced freshwater fish in the water bodies draining into the Atlantic Ocean. Records make it look a non-native in the Atlantic slope areas of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. In terms of the Commonwealth, the white crappie seems not to be native to the New River as well as the upper Tennessee and Big Sandy drainages.

The white crappie is both a native and an introduced freshwater fish in Texas. It is found naturally in the northern and central eastern areas of the state. It is introduced into the following drainages:

• Brazos, Colorado, Nueces and Red Rivers;

• Galveston and San Antonio Bays;

• Sabine Lake.

Within its native and introduced ranges, the white crappie seeks the following living conditions in its watery habitats:

• Backwaters to lakes, ponds, rivers and small creeks;

• Cover such as aquatic vegetation, submerged objects, and undercut banks;

• Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs of low to moderate gradients;

• Slow-moving waters of deeper pools;

• Sluggish sections of rivers and streams;

• Water temperatures below 87.8 °F (31 °C).

The white crappie appears to be just somewhat tolerant of siltation and of turbid waters of low visibility. It definitely is intolerant of the low pH levels in acidic waters. It therefore will not be a willing inhabitant of the more acidic waters in Virginia’s Coastal Plain.

The white crappie’s look: The white crappie can be described in terms of the following physical attributes:

Head:

• Eye greenish yellow and large;

• Gill covers with dark spots;

• Lips with easily torn membrane;

• Mouth large;

• Snout slightly upturned;

• Teeth small, sharp, numerously scattered over jaws, palatines, and pharyngeal arches;

• Top dark green with blue, green and silver overtones;

Body:

• Back bright green to dark olive with emerald and purple sheen;

• Belly whitish;

• Lateral line running from the gill covers to the tail base;

• Mature body length of 4.72 to 15.75 inches (120 to 400 millimeters), with a known maximum of 20.08 inches (51.0 centimeters);

• Mature body weight of pounds (kilograms), with a known maximum of 5 pounds 3 ounces (2.35 kilograms) in Mississippi;

• Sides silvery white, with 5 to 10 black or brown blotches or irregular vertical bars and greenish or yellow hints;

Fins, rays, spines:

• Anal fin, with dark vermiculations and light spots and with 16 to 19 rays and 5 to 8 spines;

• Caudal (Latin: caudālis, “of or relating to the tail of an animal”) fin shallowly forked, nearly symmetrical with the dorsal fin, and marked with dark vermiculations and light spots;

• Dorsal (Latin: dorsālis, “of or relating to the back of an animal”) fin, with dark vermiculations and light spots and with 13 to 15 rays and 5 to 7 spines;

• Pectoral (Latin: pectorālis, “of or relating to the breast of an animal”) fin rounded, with 13 to 15 rays.

The white crappie’s diet: The young and the juvenile white crappie eat aquatic insects, microcrustaceans, and zooplankton (Greek: ζῷον, zōon, “animal” + πλαγκτός, planktos, “errant” and therefore “drifter”). With increasing size, they move from Bosmina, copepod nauplii, and rotifers to Daphnia, Diatomus, and Leptodora. Their spring and fall feeding seems to be concentrated on the intake of amphipods and chronomids.

The adult white crappie eats aquatic insects, aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans such as crayfish, leeches, and smaller fishes. In spring, it may meet just under half of its food needs through the larvae of insects such as mayflies and true flies as well as through plankton (Greek: + πλαγκτός, planktos, “errant” and therefore “drifter”). The rest of the year, the adult white crappie prefers to prey on fishes such as the following:

• Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens);

• Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum);

• Inland silverside (Menidia beryllina);

• Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense).

The white crappie’s predators: Birds, fish, and people are the main predators of the white crappie. For example, the great blue heron (Ardea herodias) can be identified as a prime example of a predatory bird.

As with herons, American bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus) stand or wade in water to scout for unsuspecting fish; secretive and effectively camouflaged in coloring, American bitterns are known as "grobek" to southern Louisiana Cajuns, who consider them a delicacy.

The muskie (Esox masquinongy) and northern pike (Esox lucius) can be named as prime examples of predatory fish. Anglers and fishers may be suggested as examples of predatory humans vis-à-vis the white crappie.

The white crappie’s spawning time: The white crappie breeds anytime between spring and summer, from March to July, depending upon locale and water conditions. In Virginia, for example, water temperatures have to be between 60.8 to 68 °F (16 and 20 °C). Spawning therefore tends to take place in April in the Commonwealth.

The male arrives first at the spawning grounds. He builds a nest about 1 foot (30.48 centimeters) in diameter. He locates it on the firm gravel, hard clay or soft bottoms of the water body in question.

The male white crappie then cleans and clears the area with his fins. He constructs the nest off by itself or as part of white crappie colonies of as many as 50 nests spaced about 2 to 4 feet (60.96 to 121.92 meters) apart. He locates it out in the open or under the cover of submerged objects or plants or of undercut banks in coves or deep, slow-moving pools.

The male likes to build the nest about 33 feet (10.06 meters) from shoreline. He prefers to situate it about 8 to 10 feet (2.44 to 3.05 meters) down from the surface. But he will accept a range of depths, from 0.33 to 20 feet (0.1 to 6.096 meters) down.

The female white crappie can produce anywhere from 2,900 to 325,000+ sticky eggs. Preferentially, the eggs fall into the nest. But they also may stick onto such submerged objects as fallen timber or such underwater vegetation as algae and macrophytes (Greek: μακρός, makros, “large,” “long” + φυτόν, phuton, “plant”).

The female leaves after spawning. The male remains to guard the nest. The eggs, which measure about 0.04 inches (0.90 millimeters) in diameter, will hatch in about 2 to 5 days. Hatching will require 2 days at water temperatures of 73.04 °F (22.8 °C) and 4 days at 57.92 °F (14.4 °C). The newly hatched fry will remain in the area of the nest another 2 to 7 days before assuming the responsibilities of the independent young white crappie.

The female and the male white crappie are sexually mature at 2 or 3 years. It generally can survive another 4 or 5 years, to the age of 7. It has a known maximum lifespan of 9 years in the south and 10 years in the north.

The white crappie’s use: Culture, educational entertainment, environmental research, fishing and food are the most visible uses of the white crappie.

In terms of culture, the white crappie is the state fish of Louisiana (1993). In Louisiana, the white crappie links strongly with Cajun (French: Acadien, "resident of Acadia, of the Acadian provinces" of northeastern North America until the French-speaking group's exile in the 17th century, primarily to Louisiana) cuisine and culture. It may be heard referred to in any of the following ways:

Sac-a-lait;

Sac-à-lait;

Sac-au-lait.

Whatever the form, the phrase literally can be translated as "sack of milk." It honors the white colors on the fish's body. It also memorializes the healthy succulence of white crappie flesh.

In terms of educational entertainment and environmental research, the white crappie can be a popular choice for aquaria and experiments. In regard to private and public aquaria, it is an attractive fish whose beauty lies in its graceful swimming and its gracious symmetry. In regard to experiments, it manages to cooperate with scientists who seek results. For example, the white crappie was studied in terms of feeding strategies. Researchers were able to report the following observations:

• The white crappie feeds by sight;

• It focuses on what is in front or coming at it horizontally;

• It is less likely to chase prey which cause it to move up and down;

• It is more likely to follow prey which cause it to dart forward or slightly to the diagonal;

• It prefers to eat one from a clump of prey and move on to another prey than to remain and feed on the entire clump.

In terms of fishing, the white crappie can be tracked and trapped. But it may be helpful to structure the pursuit of the white crappie around the following guidelines:

Times:

• Daytime, spring;

• Early in the day, summer to fall;

Places:

• Cooler, deeper, open waters, summer;

• Deeper waters, fall to winter;

• Shallower waters, spring;

• Submerged objects and logs in lakes, large ponds, and reservoirs;

Methods:

• Jigs and jig-like fishing with streamers and weighted nymphs;

• Lightweight gear;

• Live bait, such as grubs and minnows;

• Lures, such as small spinners and twisters in black, green, silver, white or yellow colors.

In terms of food, the white crappie can be ranked with the most popular of pan-sized fish.

It cooperates best with human consumption when kept cool between the catch and the service. It particularly enhances fish recipes which call for lean, sweet flesh.

White crappie can be prepared as a baked, fried or even microwaved dish. Its flesh and taste lends itself to cold, cold-warm, and warm salads. It will be easy for the chef to prepare. It will taste like more, particularly when it is prepared Cajun style.

The white crappie's future: The capable white crappie knows how to adapt to slower, warmer waters. If left to its own devices, the capricious white crappie also prefers clean, clear watery habitats. But it will accept less if that is the choice which environmental changes make for it in the 21^st century.

White crappie numbers may decline with sedimentation and siltation of water bodies. They may decrease with staining and turbidity along shorelines and of deep, open waters. But they will manage as long as they can see to feed and succeed in breeding.

The captivating white crappie is as much a survivor as the enduring Cajun culture to which it makes such a capacious culinary contribution.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the Internet; as well as to Stessily for original artwork included below.

My special thanks to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Department of Agriculture for the professionalism which is evinced in the high-caliber data and images which they make available in print and on the internet.

My special thanks also to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for the high caliber of their online resources.

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Gooch, Bob. Virginia Fishing Guide. Revised Edition. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1992.

Goode, George Brown. The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States: Prepared Through the Co-operation of the Commissioner of Fisheries and the Superintendent of the Tenth Census. Section I: Plates--- Natural History of Useful Aquatic Animals with an Atlas of Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven Plates. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1884. http://www.archive.org/details/fisheriesfisheryx01good (Last accessed December 2, 2011)

Hart, David. Flyfisher’s Guide to Virginia Including West Virginia’s Best Fly Fishing Waters. Belgrade, MT: Wilderness Adventures Press, Inc., 2006.

Hassan-Williams, Carla, and Timothy H. Bonner. “Pomoxis annularis white crappie.” Texas State University-San Marcos Department of Biology: Texas Freshwater Fishes. http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/pomoxis annularis.htm (Last accessed December 2, 2011)

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Rohde, Fred C., Rudolf G. Arndt, David G. Lindquist, and James F. Parnell. Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Chapel Hill and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994.

“White Crappie Pomoxis annularis.” Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) Gallery of Pennsylvania Fishes Chapter 22: Sunfishes, Family Centrarchidae. http://fishandboat.com/pafish/fishhtms/chap22.htm (Last accessed December 2, 2011)

Copyright Friday, December 2, 2011 by Derdriu