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The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

The Nature Conservancy in Asia Pacific - Conservation in Asia-Pacific

The Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean - Conservation in the Caribbean

The Nature Conservancy in Central America - Conservation in Central America

The Nature Conservancy in North America - Conservation in North America

The Nature Conservancy in the United States - Conservation in the United States

The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Blanco River Project - Spotlight on a Conservation Element

Conservation elements are plant or animal species, communities or systems that have been identified as having particular conservation importance in the Blanco River Valley.

This spotlight is on the State Fish of Texas, courtesy of Brad Littrell, Bio-West, Inc. 

© Chad Thomas
  Juvenile Guadalupe bass  © Chad Thomas
   Common Name: Guadalupe bass

 

Scientific Name:  Micropterus treculii

Range and habitat:  Native to the Edwards Plateau region of west-central Texas in streams of the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, and San Antonio River basins, including the Blanco River. Inhabits clear rocky streams and rivers of the region, usually found in or near fast current areas such as riffles and chutes where it feeds on insects, crayfish, and smaller fish. 

Other information:  Although Guadalupe bass (maximum size = 3.5 pounds) do not grow as large as other black basses, they are an agile, aggressive, and popular gamefish. However, hybridization with introduced smallmouth bass severely threatens the Guadalupe bass population, especially in the Blanco River. In a recent genetic study conducted by Texas State University and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, over 50% of bass captured from the Blanco River were smallmouth bass x Guadalupe bass hybrids. Pure Guadalupe bass were not collected.