Longear Sunfish

Description:

The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 9.5 in, with a maximum recorded weight of 1.7 lb. Longear sunfish are deep, slab-sided fish with a small mouth. They get their name from their long ear flap, or opercle. Longear sunfish have emerald blue wavy lines running from the mouth to the rear edge of the gill cover. The back is olive-green with blue-green specks on the side, and the belly is orange, red or yellow. Breeding males are brilliantly colored with the red and blue coloration on their face and body becoming more intense during this period. Females are less intensely colored and do not have as long of an opercle as males. Longear sunfish spawn in groups but do not form large colonies like bluegill. Males select a spawning site in shallow water and build a nest on gravel substrate usually near cover. Longear sunfish spawn multiple times once the water temperature reaches the low 70's between mid-May and mid-August. A single large female can lay over 22,000 eggs. Males aggressively guard the nest and eggs until shortly after hatching. Longear sunfish take 2-3 years to mature. Its diet can include insects, aquatic invertebrates, and small fish.

Habitat:

Longear sunfish are common in small to moderate flowing streams, rivers, reservoirs, and oxbow lakes with lots of aquatic vegetation.