Longear sunfish

Longear sunfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Centrarchidae
Genus:	Lepomis
Species:	L. megalotis
Binomial name
Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque, 1820)

The longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native to the an area of eastern North America stretching from the Great Lakes down to northeastern Mexico.

The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm (9.5 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790 g (1.7 lb).

The species prefers densely vegetated, shallow waters in lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams. Its diet can include insects, aquatic invertebrates, and small fish.

While L. megalotis is readily caught by anglers, the fish are typically too small to be useful as food, and most anglers release them.

Trade in the longear sunfish is restricted in Germany because of the potential for environmental damage caused by introduced sunfish species.

Longear Sunfish from the Coosa River near Wetumpka, Alabama (Released)

Male Longear Sunfish

References

• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Lepomis megalotis". FishBase.
• "Lepomis megalotis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
• Mullaney, Mary. "Lepomis megalotis: Information". Animal Diversity Web. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, 2003.
• 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.
• Malo, John (1981). Fly-Fishing for Panfish. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Dillon Press Inc. ISBN 0-87518-208-9.