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MBSS Fish Information
ROCK BASS
Ambloplites rupestris

The Rock bass is a member of the Sunfish family (Centrarchidae). This big-mouthed sunfish is an ambush predator that feeds on a wide variety of minnows and aquatic insects.

The map below shows presence (green circles) of this species in the 1995-2019 MBSS dataset.
Illustration by Dave Neely

Distribution of Rock bass in Maryland (MBSS data):

The MBSS has collected the following fishes in the family Centrarchidae:

Common Name Genus & species
Black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus
Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides
Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus
Redbreast sunfish Lepomis auritus
Rock bass Ambloplites rupestris
Smallmouth bass Miropterus dolomieu
Longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis