black or white ---male or female

[picker1]

i've always been told that a black crappie was the male and the female was white.Does anyone know if there is scientific knowledge or am I mistaken and just thought I have saw eggs in some black crappie.Please dont laugh and think i'm nuts I remember this discussion from years ago.

[BJH]

Two different species of crappie. The male of both species will get darker during spawning time.

[Kevin22]

Black as in species, or black as in color?

Males turn jet black during the spawn, that might be what you heard. Females will also darken after spawning.

Otherwise there are 3 species of crappies in the USA.
Black (7-8 spines on the back)
Hybrid (7 spines on the back)
White (5-6 spines on the back)

[wahanlin]

I have also heard the old wives tale that male crappie were black and female crappie were white. I agree with BJH

[bowhunter012463]

Is the hybred also called the black nose crappie?

Black as in species, or black as in color?

Males turn jet black during the spawn, that might be what you heard. Females will also darken after spawning.

Otherwise there are 3 species of crappies in the USA.
Black (7-8 spines on the back)
Hybrid (7 spines on the back)
White (5-6 spines on the back)

[Kevin22]

I'm not familiar with that term being associated with the hybrid, but I guess it's possible. I've known the blacknose as the black crappies that develop a thick black line from the tip of the top lip to the spines. Looks like someone drew a line with a sharpie.

A hybrid has the big round body like a black, but a nose and mouth like a white. Markings are in random spots like a black but just a hint of the lines that whites have.

[Bronson]

A white crappie male will turn dark during the spawn. They are very protective of the nests and will readily hit a jig or minnow. Many times they will be a little dark when you throw them in the livewell but when you check them 15 minutes later, they have gotten much darker. Not sure why.
A black crappie is usually a shorter, stockier fish with specks all over it. A male caught during the spawn, especially in a lake with darker water will sometimes be so dark they become almost completely black. In my opinion, a black crappie will outfight a white crappie of the same size and weight. I love them both but give the edge to the white crappie b/c I think it's one of the prettiest fish in the lake.

[CrappiePappy]

Is the hybred also called the black nose crappie?

No ... a Blacknose is just a Black Crappie with a pigment gene that displays from the lips to the dorsal spines. They are a naturally occurring fish, and they spawn.

Hybrid Crappie are crossbreeds that can occur naturally in the wild, especially when both White & Black Crappie species are in the same body of water & spawning conditions force the two species to congregate in limited spawning areas.

Magnolia Crappie are triploid hybrid crossbreeds, and are sterile. They're crossbreeds of a Blacknose male & a White Crappie female ... http://www.mdwfp.com/north-ms-fish-h...a-crappie.aspx

Thus the confusion & misinformation that one may find on the web, or by word of mouth.

... cp