Largemouth Bass: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Rivers and Coasts · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. A largemouth bass can swallow prey that is half its own length or even larger.
2. Two anglers share the world record: their bass weighed 10.12 kg and 10.09 kg, and a new record must win by at least about 57 g.
3. The largemouth is the biggest black bass. The longest one ever measured was 75 cm.
4. Adult largemouth bass often hunt smaller fish like bluegill, shad and perch, but also eat crayfish, frogs and snakes.
5. Female largemouth bass grow larger than males. In the wild, the species lives 10 to 16 years on average.

The quiz

1. How big can the prey be that a largemouth bass swallows?

• A tenth of its length
• A quarter of its length
• Half its own length or larger (correct)
• Only tiny insects

It can swallow prey half its own length or even larger.

2. Why is the world-record largemouth bass shared by two anglers?

• A new record must beat the old one by at least about 57 g (correct)
• Both fish weighed exactly the same
• They caught it together
• The record was lost

A new record must beat the old one by at least about 57 g, and the two fish were closer than that.

3. What is the longest largemouth bass ever measured?

• 30 cm
• 75 cm (correct)
• 127 cm
• 50 cm

The longest one measured was 75 cm.

4. Which smaller fish do adult largemouth bass often hunt?

• Sharks and tuna
• Cod and herring
• Seahorses and clownfish
• Bluegill, shad and perch (correct)

They often hunt bluegill, shad and perch.

5. Which sex tends to grow larger?

• Females (correct)
• Males
• Neither, they are identical
• Only the young

Females tend to outgrow males.

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