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 Flatfishes, sunfishes, and perchlike
fishes
Redbreast Sunfish
Lepomis
auritus
DescriptionTo 11" (28 cm); 1 1/2 lbs (700 g).
Oblong, compressed; back dark olive to dusky, sides greenish to
yellowish brown with reddish spots, belly reddish orange. Mouth
extends to eye; bluish lines below eye. Opercular flap "ear" very
long, no wider than eye, black, without light border; 11 short gill
rakers. Fins plain, median fins yellow-orange, occasionally dusky;
pectoral fins short, rounded, 13-15 rays; 3 anal fin spines. Lateral
line complete, 43-50 scales.
Similar SpeciesThe Redbreast Sunfish inhabits
streams more frequently than most other sunfishes. It is usually
found alone, but it forms compact hibernating schools at low
temperatures. Unlike other sunfishes, the Redbreast does not produce
sounds during courtship.
HabitatStreams with slow to moderate current
over sand, gravel, or rocks; also in ponds and lakes.
RangeAtlantic Coast streams from New Brunswick
south to central Florida, west in Gulf Coast drainages from W.
Florida to E. Alabama. Introduced outside native
range.
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