Green Sunfish

COMMON NAMES: Green sunfish, Green perch

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepomis cyanellus

IDENTIFICATION: Green sunfish have a moderately compressed body, but are not as deep bodied as other sunfish. The mouth is relatively large and the upper jaw extends back to the middle of the eye. The pectoral fin is short and rounded. Green sunfish are colored a bluish-green with emerald and yellow iridescence. The belly is yellow to white. The ear flap is black with a white to yellow margin. Frequently, green sunfish have a black spot near the end of the dorsal and anal fins.

RANGE AND HABITAT: Green sunfish are present in most lakes and reservoirs and all streams. They are tolerant of turbid water unlike most other sunfish species. Green sunfish appear to have no preference for a particular bottom type, but they are usually associated with some type of structure such as brush, vegetation, or rocks.

LIFE HISTORY: Green sunfish are communal spawners with males constructing nests in shallow water from mid-May to August. The female then lays between 2,000 to 26,000 eggs. Males defend the nest for the three to five days it takes the eggs to hatch. Green sunfish eat primarily insects, mollusks, and small fishes. Green sunfish frequently become overcrowded in small water bodies like ponds. They are aggressive and more competitive than other sunfish species, especially bluegill sunfish.

ADULT SIZE: Most adult green sunfish are between 3 and 7 inches.

FISHING METHODS: Green sunfish are an aggressive fish that readily bite most natural baits such as worms, larval baits, and small minnows. They can also be taken on small spinner baits.