Black crappie and white crappie

For some anglers who target crappie, they are nothing more than crappie or speckled perch.

But there are two different species of crappie roaming in South Carolina’s lakes and river systems; in the Santee Cooper lakes, black and white crappie exist, and knowing the difference is good idea.

Surprisingly, the coloration of the fish has little to do with their identification. As the water color or quality changes, the exterior hues of the fish will change. Black crappie can be a little darker in color than white crappie, but shouldn’t be the only factor for determining specific species.

The scientific name for black crappie is Pomoxis nigromaculatus and for white crappie, Pomoxis annularis. Nigromaculatus is Latin for “black spotted” and annularis is Latin for “having rings” or the vertical stripes around the body. Hence, their scientific names are the best way to distinguish a white crappie from black crappie; it is not their exterior color, but their exterior color pattern.

White crappie will have five to seven vertical bars, and black crappie will have black spots in no recognizable pattern.

If the exterior colors are dull and a pattern is hard to recognize, examine the dorsal fins. Black crappie will have seven to eight spines on the dorsal; white crappie will have five or six.

Also, white crappie will be a little more elongated than the black crappie’s characteristic blocky appearance.