Species
Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophusAlso known as Shellcracker, Georgia Bream, Cherry Gill, Chinquapin
Equipped with specialized, hard pharyngeal teeth, redear sunfish easily crush the shells of snails and small mollusks along lake bottoms. Males excavate saucer-shaped beds in sandy gravel, forming bustling communal colonies during warm spring spawning runs. Widely stocked beyond their native southeastern rivers, they serve as popular sport fish and effective biological controls for invasive snail populations.
FreshwaterBottom FeederGamefish
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyFreshwater Snails, Mayfly Nymphs, Small Clams
Predators
- Largemouth Bass
- Great Blue Heron
- River Otter
ThreatsSiltation, habitat degradation, and agricultural runoff
HabitatsPonds, lakes, sluggish rivers, and reservoirs with submerged vegetation
Life span5–8 years
Classification
- OrderPerciformes
- FamilyCentrarchidae
- GenusLepomis
- SpeciesLepomis microlophus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Polarized Glasses: Wear polarized lenses on bright days to spot their circular gravel nests in shallow margins.
- Handling Care: Smooth the dorsal fin flat toward the tail when holding to avoid sharp spine pricks.
Predator (c) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Kristiina Hurme, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kristiina Hurme · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Aiva Noringseth, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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