Smallmouth harming Guadalupe bass
Texas’s stated fish, the Guadalupe Bass have been harmed by introduction of smallmouth into the ecosystem back in the 70s. ﾠIts interesting that the smallmouth finds the Guadalupe “attractive” and inbreeding causes the offspring to become infertile. ﾠJust like the Tiger Musky, cross-species breeding is a dead end. ﾠWhen these populations increase, the native Guadalupe can’t find a suitable mate to continue to thrive.
Native only to the Texas Hill Country, the Guadalupe’s ranks have declined due to interbreeding with the smallmouth bass, which Texas Parks and Wildlife introduced into the Edwards Plateau region in 1974. “We created the problem,” said Gary Garrett, …
This is a typical example of the “law of unintended consequences”. ﾠWe often think we know what we are doing, but really don’t. Picture used courtesy of Clinton & Charles RobertsonﾠThe smallmouth bass were introduced to improve sportfishing in the area and the thought was that if people catch smallmouth, they won’t deplete the native Guadalupe. ﾠWell, it depleted the Guadalupe anyway!
