The Black Crappie

The Black Crappie is a large sunfish, it can grow up to 16 inches and it can weigh about 5 pounds. The black crappie has a rounded body with green, silver, and black scales all over its body. They live in warm ponds; lakes; streams; and resevoirs; so they are a fresh water fish. The black crappie is a schooling fish, so they are usually found in groups.
The Black Crappie is a native fish in Eastern-Texas. They are located in the majority of the Texas freshwater bodies. In Texas, they are hunted (fished) for game and for food. The time is unknown of when they were introduced to other states, but people from Texas introduced the fish to all 48 continental states. These fish can cause problems due to their reproduction and eating habits.

The Black Crappie eats fish, like  golden shiners; largemouth bass; creek chub; and yellow perch. They eat insects and worms, like water fleas; large diving beetles; yellow jackets; and aquatic worms. They also eat newts; bullfrogs; and amoeba. The black crappie are threats to these species because of their schooling habits, many of their prey are eaten at a time and threatens their population in that body of water, and since many of the animals that compete with the black crappie for food end up losing because the crappie will end up killing and eating it. The black crappie has a few predators that compete with it for other food. The largemouth bass; the great blue heron; the king fisher; the common snapping turtle; sea gulls; and humans are the main predators of the black crappie.

The only way to reduce the black crappie's impact is to fish them for food and for fun.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/black_crappie.htm
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/crappie/