rock bass
Ambloplites rupestris
Sunfish from rivers and lakes of North America, with a rocky bottom, up to 43 cm. It is caught on rod and line and was introduced to Mexico.
Also called: peixe-sol-de-pedra, rock bass, crapet de roche
- maximum
- 43 cm
- record/max.
- 1.4 kg
- depth
- 0–21 m
who is the rock bass
The rock bass is a centrarchid reaching 43 cm and 1.4 kg. It is native to North America, in the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi basins, and was introduced to Mexico, where it is exotic. It lives in rocky, shallow areas of lakes and in the warm, lower stretches of streams, down to 21 meters deep, and prefers clear water with no sediment. It eats small crustaceans, insects and fish. It is a sport fish, has little commercial fishing and is displayed in public aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the rock bass; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Males guard the eggs and young for about 14 days.
identification
Deep-bodied, laterally compressed fish with the typical shape of sunfish and a spiny dorsal fin. To tell it apart from other sunfish in the region, look at the rocky habitat and clear water: this species lives on rock and in water without sediment, in shallow waters, down to 21 meters deep.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
North America; introduced to Mexico, where it is exotic.
Habitat: Rocky, shallow areas of lakes and lower stretches of streams, in clear water.
rules for the rock bass
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The dorsal spines cut: hold it by the body, away from the fin, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01288, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Ambloplites rupestris (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ambloplites rupestrisNames by country and language.
