Sunfish, green Lepomis cyanellus

Rafinesque, 1819

CENTRARCHIDAE FAMILY
Also called green perch, sand bass, blue spotted sunfish, rubbertail

Occurs naturally west of the Appalachians throughout the eastern and central U.S.A. and into Ontario, Canada and northern Mexico. Its range has been extended so that it is found east of the Appalachians in Oregon, Nevada, and California, as well as throughout the southwestern U.S.A. and Germany. It is absent from peninsular Florida and most of the northwest portion of the U.S.A.

It has a larger mouth and a thicker longer body than most sunfishes of the genus Lepomis, and in this respect more closely resembles the warmouth (L. gulosus) or its larger relatives of the genus Micropterus, such as the smallmouth bass. Most species of sunfish in the genus Lepomis are deep bodied, notably roundish in profile, and extremely compressed laterally. As in other sunfishes the dorsal fins are connected and there is an extended gill cover flat, or “ear lobe”, which is black edged with light red, pink, or yellow. The body is usually brown to olive green with a bronze to emerald green sheen, paling to yellow green on the lower sides and yellow or white on the belly. There are emerald or bluish spots on the head and sometimes, wavy or radiating lines of the same color. Seven to twelve dark bars are vaguely visible on the back.

This is a panfish with white, flaky flesh. it is taken by angling with worms or other small live baits, flies, spinners, or poppers

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