The black crappie has two closely joined dorsal fins. Black crappie are silver-olive with numerous black or green splotches on the sides. Vertical bars, prominent in the young, are absent in adults. Sides are light, iridescent green to silvery. Belly is silvery to white. Pelvic fins are opaque with some black on the tips of the membranes, and pectoral fins are dusky and transparent. It is fairly abundant in Utah lowland warm waters from Cache Valley to Lake Powell.