Invasion

Invasion Description

Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) consider P. nigromaculatus to be probably native to the James River, based on Cope's (1869) record, but it also could have been introduced much earlier (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). It was probably introduced elswhere in the Chesapeake drainage, based on lack of early records and spotty present distribution. Uhler and Lugger (1876) reported it from Maryland, 'Its precise location in the state is unknown, but, probably in some of the streams emptying into the lower Potomac...Said to occur near the mouth of the Chester River and sold in the Baltimore markets as 'Strawberry Perch'.' Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) suggest that these market fish could have come from the Ohio drainage. However P. nigromaculatus had colonized the Delaware by 1873 (Abbott 1877), and perhaps could have reached the upper Ba@y via the Chesapeake & Delaware canal.

Geographic Extent

Susquehanna River- Pomoxis nigromaculatus was present in the Susquehanna before 1879 (Cope 1879) and perhaps was stocked unofficially. It was stocked by Pennsylvania Fish Commission before 1893 and two fish were caught at Port Deposit MD in the tidal river (Bean 1893).

Upper Bay and tributaries- Pomoxis nigromaculatus was 'said to occur' at the mouth of the Chester River, according to fish merchants (Uhler and Lugger 1876). However, it was not found in early upper Bay surveys (Fowler 1917; Fowler 1933; Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928; Radcliffe and Welsh 1917). It was introduced to tributaries by the USFC (e.g. Oyster Creek, Annapolis MD, 1903, Bowers 1905) and probably by the MD Department of Natural Resourrces. The first published catch records for the Upper Bay are for a creel survey in the Northeast River (Elser 1960). This species was caught in the Chesapeake and Delaware canal (Wang 1971) and at the mouth of the Sassafras River (Kauffman et al. 1980). It has also been caught in the Rhode River, but is very rare (Hines et al. unpublished data).

Eastern Shore Tributaries - Pomoxis nigromaculatus was present by 1976, and was probably introduced much earlier (Lee et al. 1976). In recent MD Department of Natural Resources surveys, it was found in the Chester and Nanticoke-Wicomico River systems (Boward et al. 1997; Kazyak et al. 1997). This fish was common in the low-salinity tributaries of the Blackwater River, Somerset County (Love et al. 2008).

Patuxent River - 200 'crappie' were planted in 1899 (Ravenel 1900). Pomoxis nigromaculatus was mostly in impoundments, but also in streams (Mansueti 1950). It is now present at Jug Bay, in tidal fresh waters (Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary 1995).

Potomac River- Pomoxis nigromaculatus was stocked by the USFC 1889-1919 (Worth 1895; Leach 1921), and 'have become very common in places; notably Little River, Four-mile Run and in the river near Seven Locks' (Smith and Bean 1898). It is rare in the mainstem of the river; but is found in tributaries (primarily nontidal) to the Wicomico River and St. Clements Bay (Ernst et al. 1995; Lippson et al. 1979). above Chain Bridge/DC-MD/Potomac River (2010, Starnes et al. 2011); Lorton/VA/Gunston Cove (2007, Kraus and Jones 2012)

Rappahannock River - The first verified record of P. nigromaculatus was in 1959 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). It occurs in the tidal river (Maurakis et al. 1987).

York River- Pomoxis nigromaculatus was abundant in the tidal Pamunkey by 1949; first verified record (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Raney and Massmann 1953).

James River- Pomoxis nigromaculatus was collected in Tuckahoe Creek, Richmond VA, in the James River drainage (Cope 1869) and from Jericho Canal (Dismal Swamp), Suffolk VA (Jordan 1890), and now widespread (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).