Differences Between Hybrid & White Bass
White bass, or morone chrysops, is a species of fish found in lakes in the United States. A sport fish, it is sometimes called a white lake bass or silver bass. A hybrid bass is a cross between two species: a female white bass and a male striped bass.
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Coloration
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The body of a white bass is mostly silver with dark green or gray on its back. Its distinctive markings are the five to seven horizontal dark stripes along its body. The striped bass, the other parent of the hybrid, has an olive to blue coloration. They have horizontal stripes like the white bass but have more stripes placed closer together. The hybrid differs from its parents in that the horizontal lines on its sides are broken rather than straight.
Size
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The average white bass at the time of catch is 9 to 15 inches and weigh between 1 and 2 lbs. White bass have been caught in excess of 6 lbs. Striped bass, which are much longer than white bass, typically weigh between 5 and 20 lbs when caught. Hybrids are harvested at 18 to 24 months of age, when they have reached a weight between 1 and 2 lbs.
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Aquaculture
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White bass live, reproduce and die in the wild. Hybrid bass exist as the product of aquaculture, or fish farming. Growers fertilize the eggs and raise in hybrids in a controlled freshwater pond. They are fed and raised for the specific purpose of harvesting. Immediately upon harvesting, the fish are placed on ice to be sent to market. White bass caught for commercial consumption wait on the return of the fishing boat and processing before they can be sent to market.
Characteristics
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The hybrid contains a feature that makes it better suited to a pond culture than either of its parents. It possesses a greater tolerance to extreme temperatures. That tolerance allows it to survive and thrive during the cold of the winter and heat of the summer in the southern regions of the United States where aquaculture is more prevalent.
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References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Getty Images
