Black Bass - Large-mouth Bass

Japanese: ブラックバス - ぶらっくばす（英語表記）large-mouth bass

A freshwater fish belonging to the order Perciformes and family Sunfish. Black bass is a common name, and its standard Japanese name is Ookuchibasu. It is also known by other names such as Largemouth Bass and Ookuchikumasu. Native to the eastern part of North America, it is distinguished from closely related species such as the smallmouth bass M. dolomieui by the fact that the rear end of the mouth of the black bass reaches behind the eyes. Young fish have a dark vertical stripe down the center of the body, which becomes unclear as they grow. In Japan, it was introduced to Lake Ashi in Hakone in 1925 (Taisho 14) as a fishing fish. Since then, it has been released privately many times, and is now distributed in lakes and ponds in various parts of the Tohoku region and south. It is carnivorous and devours shrimp and small fish, so there are concerns about its impact on the ecosystem. It spawns from May to July, and the female lays sticky eggs on the spawning bed made by the male. The male then protects the eggs and the newly hatched fry. They reach adulthood in three or four years, reaching a body length of 50 centimetres.

It is one of the most important game fish in the United States, and has become popular in Japan as a target fish for lure and fly fishing, taking advantage of its strong visual predation. The skin has a unique odor, but it is delicious if you remove that odor. However, there are many unknowns about the parasites and diseases of this species, so it is best to avoid eating it raw.

[Kiyoshi Asahina]

fishing

Black bass fishing involves casting lures made specifically for black bass with a reel rod. The water's surface to the bottom is divided into four zones: top water, shallow range, mid water, and bottom range, and different lures are used to lure fish in each zone.

Depending on the reel speed and the rod used, each lure will show its own unique movement, which will entice black bass. You can also catch them by using a plastic worm lure to target the bottom.

Because it is a highly gamey fish, the main way to catch it is with lures, and in the United States there are people called bass professionals who live off tournament prize money. If you want to fish with bait, you can enjoy float fishing with earthworms or live shrimp. The best time to catch them is from spring to autumn.

[Toshio Matsuda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

硬骨魚綱スズキ目サンフィッシュ科に属する淡水魚。ブラックバスは俗称で、標準和名はオオクチバス。またラージマウスバス、オオクチクロマスの別名もある。北アメリカ大陸東部の原産で、近縁種にコクチバスM. dolomieuiなどがいるが、ブラックバスは口の後端が目よりも後ろに達することでこれらと区別できる。幼魚には体側中央に暗色の縦縞(たてじま)があり成長とともに不明瞭(ふめいりょう)となる。日本には1925年（大正14）箱根の芦(あし)ノ湖に釣魚として移殖された。その後、私的な放流が繰り返され、現在では東北地方以南の各地の湖沼に分布するようになった。肉食でエビ類や小形の魚類を貪食(どんしょく)するため生態系への影響が心配されている。産卵期は5～7月で、雄がつくった産卵床に雌が粘着卵を産む。その後は雄が卵と孵化仔魚(ふかしぎょ)を保護する。3、4年で成魚となり体長50センチメートルに達する。

　アメリカではもっとも重要なゲームフィッシュの一つであり、日本でもその強い視覚捕食性を利用したルアーやフライによる釣りの対象魚として人気が出てきた。皮に独特の臭みがあるが、それを除くと美味である。ただし、本種の寄生虫や疾病には不明な点が多く、生食は避けたほうがよい。

［朝比奈潔］