I am uncertain. The vertical bars do show some splotchiness which would suggest that some black crappie genes are there. Body shape, barring, spine count all point to a white crappie contribution. What other characteristics should we also consider to recognize black crappie genes and be certain the features are not variation within the white crappie species?


Buck, Homer, et al
noted variation of spine counts from different ponds (and potentially 2 different crosses). One pond had 53% of the survivors sporting 6 spines. But between all ponds and all samples the hybrids with 7 spines comprised 92% of those surviving. There is also variation of spine counts within a species (though no black crappies were noted to have 6 spines). They described hybrids as looking similar to blacks as opposed to looking like whites. So the water seems kind of muddy to me.


It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers