Translations:AY Honors/Fishes/Answer Key/20/en

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)

Where found: The bluegill is native to a wide area of North America, from Québec to northern Mexico, and has been widely transplanted to stock game fish for anglers.

Description: The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. The bluegill's most notable feature is the blue or black "ear", actually an extension of the gill cover called the opercular flap. Its name, however, comes from the bright blue edging visible on its gill rakers. It can be distinguished from similar species by the (not always pronounced) vertical bars along its flanks. The bluegill grows to a maximum overall length of approximately 40 cm (16 in).

Diet: The natural diet of the bluegill consists largely of small invertebrates and very small fish.

Reproduction: These fish spawn in June in nests in the shallows. During this period males assume a very bold coloration, as they are guarding their nests. An interesting aspect of their biology is that some males assume the coloration of the female fish so that the nest-guarding males won't show aggression towards them. Then these "sneaker" males enter nests and spawn.