Editing Smallmouth bass (section)

==Description==
[[File:Smallmouth bass range map.jpg|thumb|Smallmouth Bass Range Map]]
[[File:Detailed underwater photo of smallmouth bass fish micropterus dolomieu.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Detailed underwater photo of Smallmouth Bass ''Micropterus dolomieu''.]]
Smallmouth have a slender but muscular fusiform body shape making them powerful swimmers.<ref name="Wiegmann">Wiegmann, D. D., Baylis, J. R., & Hoff, M. H. (1997, January 01). MALE FITNESS, BODY SIZE AND TIMING OF REPRODUCTION IN SMALLMOUTH BASS, MICROPTERUS DOLOMIEUI. Retrieved from https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[0111:MFBSAT]2.0.CO;2?saml_referrer</ref> The coloration of the smallmouth bass' [[Fish_scale#Ctenoid_scales|ctenoid scales]] range from golden-olive to dark brown [[Dorsal (anatomy)|dorsally]] which fades to a yellowish white [[:File:Anatomical_Directions_and_Axes.JPG|ventrally]] with dark brown vertical bars or blotches along the body and dark brown horizontal bars on the head.<ref name="Wiegmann"/> The combination of the muscular fusiform body shape and camouflage like coloring make these fish highly effective ambush predators. The coloration can vary greatly depending on the fishes age, habitat, water quality, diet, and the spawning cycle.

Generally, the protruding jaw of the smallmouth does not extend back beyond the eyes which are red or brown. They have two dorsal fins which are separated by a shallow interdorsal notch. The front dorsal has 9–11 spiney rays and the back dorsal has 13–15 soft rays.<ref name="fishbase"/>

Males are generally smaller than females. The males tend to range around two pounds, while females can range from three to six pounds. Their average sizes and coloration can differ, depending on if they are found in lacustrine or riverine habitats. Smallmouth found in riverine habitats are generally long and slender which allows greater agility in moving water, while those found in lacustrine habitats and shorter and deeper bodied.<ref name="Schlosser">Schlosser, Isaac J. "The Role of Predation in Age‐ and Size‐Related Habitat Use by Stream Fishes." The Ecological Society of America, John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd, 1 June 1987, esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2307/1938470. </ref>
Riverine smallmouth that live in dark water tend to be rather torpedo-shaped and very dark brown to be more efficient for feeding.<ref name="Schlosser"/> Lacustrine smallmouth bass, however, that live in sandy areas, tend to be a light yellow-brown and are more oval-shaped.<ref name="Schlosser"/>

There are two recognized subspecies, the Northern smallmouth bass (''M. dolomieui dolomieui'') and the Neosho smallmouth bass (''M. dolomieui velox'').<ref name="Missouri-Columbia">University of Missouri-Columbia. (2020, October 19). Management of a popular game fish, the smallmouth bass. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 26, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201019155920.htm
</ref> The Northern smallmouth bass is much more widespread than the much smaller subgroup called the Neosho smallmouth bass. The Neosho are native to an ecologically isolated region of the lower Midwest known as the Central Interior Highlands, which weave through southwestern Missouri, northern Arkansas and northeastern Oklahoma.<ref name="Missouri-Columbia" />

They eat [[tadpole]]s, fish, aquatic insects, and [[crayfish]].<ref>Hanke, Gavin. "Smallmouth Bass." Aliens Among Us. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.</ref><ref>Animal Diversity Web 2008. Micropterus dolomieu: Information. [http://animaldiversity.ummz.mich.edu/site/accounts/information/Micropterus_dolomieu.html]. Accessed 23 April 2021</ref>

The world record size is {{convert|5.41|kg|lboz|order=flip}} caught in the Dale Hollow reservoir, on the [[Kentucky]]—[[Tennessee]] border.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vitek |first=Jack |date=2015-06-18 |title=10 Biggest Smallmouth Bass World Records of All Time - Game & Fish |url=https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/10-largest-smallmouth-bass-world-records/190547 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=Game & Fish |language=en}}</ref>