The Alabama Bass, Micropterus henshalli (Teleostei: Centrarchidae), from the Mobile River basin

Abstract

The Alabama Bass, Micropterus henshalli, was diagnosed as a subspecies of Micropterus punctulatus from the Mobile River basin, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, USA, by Hubbs and Bailey (1940). The species has been introduced in the Chattahoochee River, as has the Spotted Bass, Micropterus punctulatus. Micropterus henshalli differs from M. punctulatus, with which it has been aligned, by having higher scales counts, a narrower head, smaller scale width, higher gill raker count, and a smaller tooth patch. It also has a narrower and more elongate body shape than does M. punctulatus. The Alabama Bass is relatively common in streams and rivers throughout the Mobile River basin.