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Micropterus dolomieu

Basic information
Scientific name Micropterus dolomieu

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コクチバス
Common names Smallmouth bass
Higher taxon Centrarchidae, Perciformes, Actinopterygii
Natural range North America.
Habitat Lake or pond.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Fukushima, Tochigi, Nagano, Shiga, Nara Range in Japan
Origin North America
Date The first observation of establishment of this species was early 1990s. Although the first introduction of this species to Japan was in 1925 along with Micropterus salmoides to Lake Ashinoko, the first population could not be establshed.
Route Deliberate: Illegal introduction for sports fishing
Impact Predation, competition against native species. Damages on fishery. This species can be established in upper part of rivers compared with M. salmoides.
Native organism(s) affected: Freshwater fishes and invertebrates.
Regulation in Japan Import, transport and keeping are prohibited in Japan by the Invasive Alien Species Act.
Introduced range in other countries Slovakia, Belgium, Germany, Tanzania, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Hawaii
Reference Notes
  • Ecol Soc Jpn (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijinshokan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Kawanabe et al. (eds) (2002) Freshwater Fishes of Japan, 3rd ed.. Yama-kei Publishers, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Matsuzawa & Senou (2008) Alien fishes of Japan. Bun-ichi Sogo Shuppan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Sato et al. (2007) Distribution of mtDNA haplotypes of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in Japan. Jpn J Ichthyol. 54(2), 225-230 (in Jpn with English abst)
  • etc.
100 of the Japan’s Worst Invasive Alien Species