Redear sunfish: Difference between revisions

Redear sunfish; Temporal range: Middle Miocene to Recent
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Centrarchidae
Genus:	Lepomis
Species:	L. microlophus
Binomial name
	Lepomis microlophus; (Günther, 1859)
Synonyms
	Pomotis microlophus Günther, 1859

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The redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, and sun perch, is a freshwater fish in the family Centrarchidae and is native to the southeastern United States. Due to its popularity as a sport fish, it has been widely introduced across North America.

Description

Redear sunfish generally resemble bluegill except for coloration and somewhat larger maximum size. The redear sunfish also has faint vertical bars traveling downwards from its dorsal.^[3] It is dark-colored dorsally and yellow-green ventrally. Unlike bluegill, the male has a cherry-red edge on its operculum; females have orange coloration in this area. The adult fish are between 20 and 24 cm (7.9 and 9.4 in) in length. Max length is 43.2 cm (17.0 in), compared to a maximum of about 40 cm (16 in) for the bluegill. Redear sunfish on average reach about 0.45 kg (0.99 lb), also larger than the average bluegill.^[4]

Habitat and range

Redear sunfish are native to the southeastern United States. They range from North Carolina to Florida, west to southern Illinois and Missouri, and south to the Rio Grande drainage in Texas.^[5] However, this fish has been widely introduced to other locations such as the states of Ohio and Arizona.^{[citation needed]}

In the wild, redear sunfish inhabit warm, quiet waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and reservoirs. They prefer to be near logs and vegetation, and tend to congregate in groups around these features. This sunfish is also located in many freshwater marsh wetlands.^{[citation needed]}

Diet

The favorite food of this sunfish is snails, which it obtains by cracking their shells, hence this feisty gamefish's common name: shellcracker. These fish meander along lakebeds, seeking and cracking open snails and other shelled creatures. VanderKooy et al. (2000) observed that large L. microlophus predominantly focus on hard-shelled prey such as ostracods, hydrobiid snails and mussels throughout the entire year. In the same field investigation, it was observed that smaller fish tended to also consume zooplankton, amphipods, chironomid and ceratopongonid larvae and cladocerans, with varied distributions depending on the season.^[6]^[7] They are also believed to feed on algae, aquatic worms,^[8] copepoda,^[8] midge larvae, ephemeropteran and odonata nymphs, crayfish, small fish, and fish eggs.^{[citation needed]} Redear sunfish have thick pharyngeal teeth which allow them to crunch exoskeletons. They are even capable of opening small clams.^{[citation needed]} The specialization of this species for the deep-water, mollusk-feeding niche allows it to be introduced to lakes without the risk of competition with fish that prefer shallower water or surface-feeding. In recent years, the stocking of redear has found new allies due to the fish's ability to eat quagga mussels, a prominent invasive species in many freshwater drainages.^[9]

Reproduction

During spawning, males congregate and create nests close together in colonies, and females visit to lay eggs. The redear sunfish may occasionally hybridize with other sunfish species.^[10]

Fossil record

The redear sunfish is the first-known species of Centrarchidae based on fossil records, as old as 16.3 million years, dating back to the Middle Miocene.^[11]

Relationship with humans

Redear sunfish is a popular panfish among recreational anglers. The IGFA all-tackle world record for the species stands at 2.83 kg (6 lb 4 oz) caught in 2021 from Lake Havasu in Arizona.^[12]

References

^ NatureServe (2013). "Lepomis microlophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202558A18230237. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202558A18230237.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepomis microlophus". FishBase. December 2019 version.
^ Bosanko, David and Dan Johnson (2007). "Redear Sunfish". Fish of Michigan Field Guide. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. pp. 148–49.
^ "Redear Sunfish : Species Breakdown". hookedinfishing.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
^ Gilbert, Carter Rowell; James D. Williams (2002). "Redear Sunfish". In Alfred A. Knopf (ed.). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes: North America. New York. p. 347.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Katherine E. VanderKooy; Chet F. Rakocinski; Richard W. Heard (2000). "Trophic Relationships of Three Sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) in an Estuarine Bayou". Estuaries. 23 (5): 621–632.
^ "Lepomis microlophus (Redear sunfish)". CABI.
^ ^a ^b "Lepomis microlophus (Redear sunfish)". Animal Diversity Web.
^ Tavares, Stephanie (2009-11-09). "Popular sport fish could solve Lake Mead's clam infestation". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
^ "Sunfish Hybrid ID Walk-Through". Koaw Nature. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
^ "Family Centrarchidae Cope 1868 (sunfish)". Paleobiology Database.
^ "Sunfish, redear". igfa.org. IGFA. Retrieved 13 May 2024.

Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepomis microlophus". FishBase. November 2005 version.
Ellis, Jack (1993). The Sunfishes-A Fly Fishing Journey of Discovery. Bennington, VT: Abenaki Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-936644-17-6.
Rice, F. Philip (1964). America's Favorite Fishing-A Complete Guide to Angling for Panfish. New York: Harper Row.
Rice, F. Philip (1984). Panfishing. New York: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-943822-25-4.

[iucn_status_19_November_2021-1] NatureServe (2013). "Lepomis microlophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202558A18230237. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202558A18230237.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

[Fishbase-2] Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepomis microlophus". FishBase. December 2019 version.

[3] Bosanko, David and Dan Johnson (2007). "Redear Sunfish". Fish of Michigan Field Guide. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications. pp. 148–49.

[4] "Redear Sunfish : Species Breakdown". hookedinfishing.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.

[5] Gilbert, Carter Rowell; James D. Williams (2002). "Redear Sunfish". In Alfred A. Knopf (ed.). National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes: North America. New York. p. 347.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[6] Katherine E. VanderKooy; Chet F. Rakocinski; Richard W. Heard (2000). "Trophic Relationships of Three Sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) in an Estuarine Bayou". Estuaries. 23 (5): 621–632.

[7] "Lepomis microlophus (Redear sunfish)". CABI.

[ADW-8] "Lepomis microlophus (Redear sunfish)". Animal Diversity Web.

[9] Tavares, Stephanie (2009-11-09). "Popular sport fish could solve Lake Mead's clam infestation". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2009-11-20.

[10] "Sunfish Hybrid ID Walk-Through". Koaw Nature. Retrieved 2022-04-06.

[11] "Family Centrarchidae Cope 1868 (sunfish)". Paleobiology Database.

[12] "Sunfish, redear". igfa.org. IGFA. Retrieved 13 May 2024.

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+{{Short description|Species of fish}}
-{{speciesbox
-| name = Redear sunfish
+{{Speciesbox
 | fossil_range = [[Middle Miocene]] to Recent
 | image = Redearsunfishnctc.jpg
 | status = LC
 | status_system = IUCN3.1
-| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn | author = NatureServe | year = 2013 | title = ''Lepomis microlophus'' | page = e.T202558A18230237 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202558A18230237.en | accessdate = 20 May 2020}}</ref>
+| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=NatureServe |date=2013 |title=''Lepomis microlophus'' |volume=2013 |page=e.T202558A18230237 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202558A18230237.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
 | taxon = Lepomis microlophus
 | authority = ([[Albert C. L. G. Günther|Günther]], 1859)
 | synonyms = ''Pomotis microlophus'' <small>Günther, 1859</small>
-| synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{Fishbase|Lepomis|microlophus|month=December|year=2019}}</ref>
+| synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Lepomis|microlophus|month=December|year=2019}}</ref>
 }}
-The '''redear sunfish''' (''Lepomis microlophus''), also known as the '''shellcracker''', '''Georgia bream''', '''cherry gill''', '''chinquapin''', '''improved bream''', '''rouge ear sunfish''' and '''sun perch''') is a [[freshwater fish]] in the family [[Centrarchidae]] and is native to the southeastern [[United States]]. Since it is a popular [[sport fishing|sport fish]], it has been [[introduced species|introduced]] to bodies of water all over [[North America]]. It is known for its diet of [[mollusks]] and [[snails]].
+The '''redear sunfish''' ('''''Lepomis microlophus'''''), also known as the '''shellcracker''', '''Georgia bream''', '''cherry gill''', '''chinquapin''', '''improved bream''', and '''sun perch''', is a [[freshwater fish]] in the family [[Centrarchidae]] and is native to the southeastern [[United States]]. Due to its popularity as a [[sport fishing|sport fish]], it has been widely [[introduced species|introduced]] across [[North America]].
-[[File:ShellcrackerFish.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Large shellcracker before preparation for consumption]]
+[[File:Lepomis microlophus 426884814.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A redear sunfish captured in [[Montgomery County, Texas]], USA.]]
 ==Description==
 [[Image:Redear sunfish FWS 1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Illustration of the redear sunfish, ''Lepomis microlophus'']]
-The redear sunfish generally resembles the [[bluegill]] except for coloration and somewhat larger size. The redear sunfish also has faint vertical bars traveling downwards from its dorsal.<ref>Bosanko, David, and Dan Johnson. "Redear Sunfish." Fish of Michigan Field Guide. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, 2007. 148-49. Print.</ref> It is dark-colored dorsally and yellow-green ventrally. The male has a cherry-red edge on its [[Operculum (fish)|operculum]]; females have orange coloration in this area. The adult fish are between {{convert|20|and|24|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length. Max length is {{convert|43.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}, compared to a maximum of about {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=on}} for the bluegill. ''Lepomis microlophus'' averages at a size of about {{convert|0.45|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, also larger than the average bluegill. [https://www.ramblingangler.com/fishing-for-shellcrackers/ See an excellent representation of a trophy redear sunfish.]
+Redear sunfish generally resemble [[bluegill]] except for coloration and somewhat larger maximum size. The redear sunfish also has faint vertical bars traveling downwards from its dorsal.<ref>{{cite book |author=Bosanko, David|author2= Dan Johnson|name-list-style=and|chapter=Redear Sunfish|title=Fish of Michigan Field Guide|location=Cambridge, MN|publisher=Adventure Publications|year=2007|pages=148–49}}</ref> It is dark-colored dorsally and yellow-green ventrally. Unlike bluegill, the male has a cherry-red edge on its [[Operculum (fish)|operculum]]; females have orange coloration in this area. The adult fish are between {{cvt|20|and|24|cm|in}} in length. Max length is {{cvt|43.2|cm|in}}, compared to a maximum of about {{cvt|40|cm|in}} for the bluegill. Redear sunfish on average reach about {{cvt|0.45|kg|lb}}, also larger than the average bluegill.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Redear Sunfish : Species Breakdown |url=https://hookedinfishing.com/freshwater-species/redear-sunfish/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=hookedinfishing.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
 ==Habitat and range==
-Redear sunfish are native to [[North Carolina]] and [[Florida]], west to south [[Illinois]] and south [[Missouri]], and south to the [[Rio Grande]] drainage in [[Texas]].<ref>Gilbert, Carter Rowell, and James D. Williams. "Redear Sunfish." National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes: North America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. 347. Print.</ref> However, this fish has also been widely introduced to other locations in the United States outside of its native range. In the wild, the redear sunfish inhabits warm, quiet waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and reservoirs. They prefer to be near logs and vegetation, and tend to congregate in groups around these features. This sunfish is also located in many marsh wetlands of freshwater.
+Redear sunfish are [[native species|native]] to the southeastern United States. They range from [[North Carolina]] to [[Florida]], west to southern [[Illinois]] and [[Missouri]], and south to the [[Rio Grande]] drainage in [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Gilbert, Carter Rowell|author2=James D. Williams|chapter=Redear Sunfish|title=National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes: North America|location=New York|editor=Alfred A. Knopf|year=2002|page=347}}</ref> However, this fish has been widely introduced to other locations such as the states of [[Ohio]] and [[Arizona]].{{Citation needed|reason=No source, try USGS NAS records.|date=September 2024}}
+In the wild, redear sunfish inhabit warm, quiet waters of lakes, ponds, streams, and reservoirs. They prefer to be near logs and vegetation, and tend to congregate in groups around these features. This sunfish is also located in many freshwater marsh wetlands.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
 ==Diet==
-The favorite food of this species is snails. These fish meander along lakebeds, seeking and cracking open snails and other shelled creatures. VanderKooy ''et al.'' (2000) observed that large ''L. microlophus'' predominantly focus on hard-shelled prey such as [[ostracods]], [[hydrobiid]] snails and mussels throughout the entire year. In the same field investigation, it was observed that smaller fish tended to also consume [[zooplankton]], [[amphipods]], [[chironomid]] and ceratopongonid larvae and [[cladocerans]], with varied distributions depending on the season.<ref>https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/77083</ref> They are also believed to feed on [[algae]], aquatic [[worms]],<ref>https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepomis_microlophus/</ref> [[copepoda]],<ref>https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepomis_microlophus/</ref> [[culicid]] [[larva]]e, [[ephemeropteran]] and odonatan ([[dragonfly]]) nymphs, [[crayfish]], small fish, and fish eggs.<ref>https://www.ncwildlife.org/Learning/Species/Fish/Redear-Sunfish</ref> <ref>https://www.noble.org/news/publications/ag-news-and-views/2011/may/redear-sunfish/</ref> Redears have thick [[pharyngeal teeth]] (hard, movable plates in its throat) which allow it to crunch [[exoskeleton]]s. It is even capable of opening small [[clam]]s. The specialization of this species for the deep-water, mollusk-feeding niche allows it to be introduced to lakes without the risk of competition with fish that prefer shallower water or surface-feeding. In recent years, the stocking of redear has found new allies due to the fish's ability to eat [[quagga mussel]]s, a prominent [[invasive species]] in many freshwater drainages.<ref>{{cite news
+The favorite food of this sunfish is snails, which it obtains by cracking their shells, hence this feisty gamefish's common name: shellcracker. These fish meander along lakebeds, seeking and cracking open snails and other shelled creatures. VanderKooy ''et al.'' (2000) observed that large ''L. microlophus'' predominantly focus on hard-shelled prey such as [[ostracods]], [[hydrobiid]] snails and mussels throughout the entire year. In the same field investigation, it was observed that smaller fish tended to also consume [[zooplankton]], [[amphipods]], [[chironomid]] and [[Ceratopogonidae|ceratopongonid]] larvae and [[cladocerans]], with varied distributions depending on the season.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Trophic Relationships of Three Sunfishes (''Lepomis'' spp.) in an Estuarine Bayou|author=Katherine E. VanderKooy|author2=Chet F. Rakocinski|author3=Richard W. Heard |year=2000|journal=Estuaries|volume=23|issue=5|pages=621-632|url=https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/4086}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/77083|title = ''Lepomis microlophus'' (Redear sunfish) |website=CABI}}</ref> They are also believed to feed on [[algae]], aquatic [[worm]]s,<ref name=ADW>{{Cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lepomis_microlophus/|title=''Lepomis microlophus'' (Redear sunfish)|website=[[Animal Diversity Web]]}}</ref> [[copepoda]],<ref name=ADW/> [[midge]] [[larva]]e, [[ephemeropteran]] and [[odonata]] nymphs, [[crayfish]], small fish, and fish eggs.{{Citation needed|reason=Links were outdated and broken. This info should be available in other listed sources.|date=September 2024}} Redear sunfish have thick [[pharyngeal teeth]] which allow them to crunch [[exoskeleton]]s.  They are even capable of opening small [[clam]]s.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} The specialization of this species for the deep-water, mollusk-feeding niche allows it to be introduced to lakes without the risk of competition with fish that prefer shallower water or surface-feeding. In recent years, the stocking of redear has found new allies due to the fish's ability to eat [[quagga mussel]]s, a prominent [[invasive species]] in many freshwater drainages.<ref>{{cite news | last = Tavares | first = Stephanie | title = Popular sport fish could solve Lake Mead's clam infestation | publisher = [[Las Vegas Sun]] | date = 2009-11-09 | url = http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/18/popular-sport-fish-could-solve-lake-meads-clam-inf/ | access-date = 2009-11-20 }}</ref>
- | last = Tavares
- | first = Stephanie
- | title = Popular sport fish could solve Lake Mead's clam infestation
- | publisher = [[Las Vegas Sun]]
- | date = 2009-11-09
- | url = http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/18/popular-sport-fish-could-solve-lake-meads-clam-inf/
- | accessdate = 2009-11-20 }}</ref>
 ==Reproduction==
-[[Image:Lepomis microlophus.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Male guarding eggs]]
+[[Image:Lepomis microlophus.JPG|thumb|250px|right|Male redear sunfish guarding eggs]]
-During spawning, males congregate and create nests close together in colonies, and females visit to lay eggs. The redear sometimes [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridizes]] with other sunfish species.
+During spawning, males congregate and create nests close together in colonies, and females visit to lay eggs. The redear sunfish may occasionally [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridize]] with other sunfish species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunfish Hybrid ID Walk-Through |url=https://www.koaw.org/hybrid-walkthrough1 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=Koaw Nature |language=en-US}}</ref>
-<br />
 ==Fossil record==
-The redear sunfish is the first-known species of [[Centrarchidae]] based on [[fossil record]]s, as old as 16.3 million years, dating back to the [[Middle Miocene]][http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=83690&is_real_user=1].
+The redear sunfish is the first-known species of [[Centrarchidae]] based on [[fossil record]]s, as old as 16.3 million years, dating back to the [[Middle Miocene]].<ref>{{cite web |website=Paleobiology Database |url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=83690|title=Family Centrarchidae Cope 1868 (sunfish)}}</ref>
 == Relationship with humans ==
-The [[IGFA]] all tackle world record for the species stands at 2.61&nbsp;kg (5&nbsp;lb 12oz) caught from [[Lake Havasu]] in Arizona in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunfish, redear |url=https://igfa.org/igfa-world-records-search/?search_type=CommonName&search_term_1=Sunfish,%20redear |website=igfa.org |publisher=IGFA |accessdate=17 June 2019}}</ref>
+Redear sunfish is a popular [[panfish]] among [[recreational fishing|recreational angler]]s. The [[IGFA]] all-tackle world record for the species stands at {{cvt|2.83|kg|lboz}} caught in 2021 from [[Lake Havasu]] in [[Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunfish, redear |url=https://igfa.org/member-services/world-record/common-name/Sunfish,%20redear |website=igfa.org |publisher=IGFA |access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref>
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-* {{FishBase species|genus=Lepomis|species=microlophus|year=2005|month=November}}
+* {{FishBase|genus=Lepomis|species=microlophus|year=2005|month=November}}
 * {{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=Jack |title=The Sunfishes-A Fly Fishing Journey of Discovery |year=1993 |publisher=Abenaki Publishers, Inc. |location=Bennington, VT|isbn=0-936644-17-6 }}
 *{{Cite book |last=Rice |first=F. Philip |title=America's Favorite Fishing-A Complete Guide to Angling for Panfish |year=1964 |publisher=Harper Row |location=New York }}
 *{{Cite book |last=Rice |first=F. Philip |title=Panfishing |year=1984 |publisher=Stackpole Books |location=New York |isbn=0-943822-25-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/panfishing00rice }}
-==External links==
-*[[File:Trophy Redear sunfish or Shellcracker 02.jpg|thumb|Trophy Redear are hard to find. Ken McBroom]][https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/GreatLakes/SpeciesInfo.asp?NoCache=6%2F10%2F2010+4%3A46%3A22+PM&SpeciesID=390&State=&HUCNumber=DGreatLakes/ GLANSIS Species FactSheet]
 {{Taxonbar|from=Q2741147}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Redear Sunfish}}
 [[Category:Lepomis]]
 [[Category:Fish described in 1859]]
+[[Category:Taxa named by Albert Günther]]
 [[Category:Freshwater fish of the Southeastern United States]]
 [[Category:Extant Miocene first appearances]]