/perciformes/centrarchidae/lepomis/macrochirus/1.jpg "Lepomis macrochirus")
/perciformes/centrarchidae/lepomis/macrochirus/2.jpg "Lepomis macrochirus")
Adult male fanning eggs/perciformes/centrarchidae/lepomis/macrochirus/3.jpg "Lepomis macrochirus")
Eggs in a nest/perciformes/centrarchidae/lepomis/macrochirus/4.jpg "Lepomis macrochirus")
Close-up of nest/perciformes/centrarchidae/lepomis/macrochirus/5.jpg "Lepomis macrochirus")
Adult male guarding nest
 All Fishes Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819 |
| Common Names | Bluegill Bluegill Sunfish, Bream, Copper Nose, Rim, Sunfish |
| Type Locality | Ohio River U.S.A. |
| Pronunciation | leh poe miss. - Mak - row - kii - russ. |
| Etymology | Lepomis is from Greek, lepis meaning scaled and poma meaning gill cover or operculum. The specific epithet is also from the greek and means large hand. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 410mm or 16.1" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Sexing | Adult males are larger and more colorful than females. |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | North America: St. Lawrence - Great Lakes and Mississippi river basin; from Quebec to northern Mexico. Widely introduced. Trade restricted in Germany (Anl.3 BArtSchV). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. |
| IUCN Red List Category | Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2018. |
| Temperature | 18.0-24.5°C or 64.4-76.1°F (Show species within this range) |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Omnivorous. Feed flake, pellets, brine shrimp, bloodworms, spirulina, and supermarket shrimp. Adults relish live minnows. User data. |
| Suggested Tankmates | Other Lepomis sunfish (ex. Bluegills, Pumpkinseeds, Green Sunfish, etc.), Black and White Crappies, Black Basses, Yellow Perch, Creek Chubs, Bullhead Catfish, and Channel Catfish. |
| Breeding | In nature, once water temperatures rise to 70-75°F (normally spring) males will excavate nests in the substrate. Multiple females will them spawn with one male. The male will then be the sole protector and caretaker of the eggs and the fry until the fry are a few weeks old. |
| Breeding Reports | There is no breeding report. |
| Further Information | |
| Reference | Journal de Physique, de Chimie et d'Histoire Naturelle v. 88, pp 420. |
| Registered Keepers | There is no registered keeper. |
| Wishlists | Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species. |
| Spotters | Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There is but a single record of this fish being seen, view it. |
| Forum BBCode | |
 | Look up L. macrochirus on Fishbase |
 | Look up L. macrochirus on Encyclopedia of Life |
 | Look up L. macrochirus on Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
 | LFS label creator |
| Last Update | 2020 Oct 08 14:11 (species record created: 2014 Aug 15 11:25) |