Orangespotted sunfish

Orangespotted sunfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Lepomis
Species:
L. humilis
Binomial name
Lepomis humilis
(Girard, 1858)
Synonyms[2]

Bryttus humilis Girard, 1858

The orangespotted sunfish (Lepomis humilis) is a North American species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes.[3] These fish are widely distributed across the middle and eastern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the east, from the Great Lakes south into the Gulf Coast.[3] The orangespotted sunfish is ecologically unique and thrives in turbid, shallow systems that have few predators and low oxygen contents.[4] The species prefers vegetated areas in sluggish backwaters or lakes, and can also be found in turbid rivers. The orangespotted sunfish can extend its range in lower-quality waters, which is not characteristic of other sunfish.[5] Orangespotted sunfish vary in total length and age for different river basin originations, but can be found to live four to seven years, and recorded lengths are up to 15 cm (5.9 in).[6]

Males make grunting noises to attract females to mate,[7] and are known to nest in ‘colonies’ or aggregations.[8] Spawning patterns are similar to those of other sunfish.[5] Due to the wide distribution of this fish, the species is not endangered and management plans are almost nonexistent presently. The orangespotted sunfish has been introduced to many habitats, such as rivers in Florida, Alabama, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, and Canada.

  1. ^ NatureServe (2013). "Lepomis humilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202556A18228862. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202556A18228862.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepomis humilis". FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. ^ a b Page, L.M.; Burr, B.M. (1991). A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 272. ISBN 0395539331.
  4. ^ Miranda, L.E.; Lucas, G.M. (2004). "Determinism in Fish Assemblages of Floodplain Lakes of the Vastly Disturbed Mississippi Alluvial Valley". Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 133 (2): 358–370. Bibcode:2004TrAFS.133..358M. doi:10.1577/03-060.
  5. ^ a b MN DNR (2024). "Sunfish biology and identification". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota DNR. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  6. ^ Rasmus, R.A.; Phelps, Q.E.; Duehr, J.P.; Berry Jr., C.R. (2008). "Population Characteristics of Lotic Orangespotted Sunfish". Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 23 (3): 459–461. Bibcode:2008JFEco..23..459R. doi:10.1080/02705060.2008.9664224.
  7. ^ Gerald, J.W. (1971). "Sound Production During Courtship in Six Species of Sunfish (Centrarchidae)". Evolution. 25 (1): 75–87. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1971.tb01859.x. PMID 28562941.
  8. ^ Witte, C.C.; Wildhaber, M.L.; Arab, A.; Noltie, D.B. (2009). "Substrate choice of territorial male Topeka shiners (Notropis topeka) in the absence of sunfish (Lepomis sp.)". Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 18 (3): 350–359. Bibcode:2009EcoFF..18..350W. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0633.2008.00351.x.