Growth, Survival, and Recruitment of Hybrid Crappies Stocked in Small Impoundments

Abstract

White crappie Pomoxis annularis and black crappie P. nigromaculatus are popular sport fish, but because of erratic recruitment they are difficult to manage and generally are not recommended for stocking in small impoundments. We examined the growth, survival, and recruitment of interspecific F1 hybrid crappies stocked in ponds with established predator and prey populations, to determine if they were more amenable to management in small impoundments than their parent species. The F1 hybrids had lengths at age similar to those of white crappies through age 5. Survival of the stocked F1 hybrids was low, especially beyond age 1. Recruitment was also low; none of the stocked hybrid crappie populations were capable of maintaining their initial densities. Because their recruitment is low and they have growth rates similar to their parent species, we believe hybrid crappies provide a viable alternative to stocking white and black crappies in small impoundments. Before more specific management recommendations can be developed, additional research is needed to identify the factors influencing recruitment of hybrid crappies under a range of natural conditions.