The Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), also known as the smallmouth, bronzeback, brown bass, brownie, smallie, bronze bass, and bareback bass, is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. Smallmouth bass are carnivorous, its diet comprises crayfish, insects, and smaller fish, while the larvae feed on various zooplankton.
Smallmouth bass spend most of their lives in schools. Not only are they so-fish-ticated, but are gill-ty of being fin-tastic parents too! Male smallmouth bass build crater-like nests in sandy or rocky areas of lakes and rivers by fanning its tail along the bottom. This is so that smallmouth females, each capable of laying between 2 and 15 thousand, have a place to put their eggs. Afterwards, the male stands guard, protecting the eggs from predators, and keeping them free of debris until the little gills hatch and head out on their own. Predators include herons, eagles, ospreys, river otters, alligators and more.