Teleostei (teleosts) >
Centrarchiformes (Basses) >
Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
Etymology: Lepomis: Greek, lepis = scaled + Greek, poma = gill cover, operculum (Ref. 45335, 79012); gibbosus: gibbosus from gibbous, or like a full moon, referring to body shape (Ref. 1998).
More on author: Linnaeus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 15; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 41 m (Ref. 1998). Subtropical; 4°C - 30°C (Ref. 1672); 50°N - 32°N, 125°W - 64°W (Ref. 86798)
North America: New Brunswick in Canada south to Savannah River in Georgia, USA; Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and upper Mississippi River basins from Quebec west to southeastern Manitoba and North Dakota, and south to north Kentucky and Missouri, USA. Introduced to Pacific drainages from British Columbia to California. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 9.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 630.00 g (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 12 years (Ref. 72493)
Inhabits vegetated lakes and ponds, as well as quiet pools of creeks and small rivers (Ref. 86798). Feeds on small fishes and other vertebrates (Ref. 1998), as well as fish eggs (Ref. 2058). Adtults rarely form schools but occur in pairs or loose aggregations of three to four individuals; young individuals aggregate in fairly large schools (Ref. 120693). An introduced species in Europe which avoids swift waters and occurs in estuaries with a salinity up to 18.2 ppt (Ref. 59043). Reported in Europe to prey on a wide variety of invertebrates (Ref. 59043). Considered undesirable catch (Ref. 30578).
Males build the nest on very shallow waters near the shore. The pair then swims in a circular path over the nest and eggs and sperm is released in intervals. The male guards the eggs for about 7 days (Ref. 93240) and the young (to about 11 days after hatching), then prepares the nest for another spawning with the same or different females (Ref. 1998). In European waters, each male may spawn with several females in one nest and guard the nest until abandoned by larvae (Ref. 59043). Produces up to 1000 eggs (Ref. 1672).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Potential pest
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01175 (0.00941 - 0.01466), b=3.11 (3.06 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2; Fec=600-5000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100).
