- Average Weight: 3/4-1 lb
- Peak Weight: 3 lbs
- IGFA Record: 4 lb 12 oz fish taken from Ketona Lake
in Alabama on April 9, 1950 by T.S. Hudson
- Common Names: Bluegill Sunfish, Bream, Sun Perch,
Blue Perch, Blue Sunfish, Copperbelly, Red-Brested Bream, Copperhead Bream,
Blue Bread
- Optimum Temperature: 69 degrees Farenheit
- Biology: Bluegills begin spawning when water
temperatures reach about 70 °F. Spawning may peak in May or June, but
continues until water temperatures cool in the fall. Because of their long
spawning season bluegills have very high reproductive potential, which often
results in overpopulation in the face of low predation or low fishing
pressure. Nests are created in shallow water, one to two feet in depth. Gravel
substrate is preferred. Fifty or more nests may be crowded into a small area,
thus creating a spawning “bed”. Males guard the nest until the eggs hatch and
fry leave. Young fish feed on plankton, but as they grow the diet shifts to
aquatic insects and their larvae. Up to 50% of their diet may consist of midge
larvae.
- Description: Lepomis, the generic name, is Greek and
means “scaled gill cover”, and the species epithet macrochirus is also Greek
and means “large hand” which may refer to the body shape or its size.
Bluegills may be distinguished from other sunfish by the dark spot at the base
of the dorsal fin, verticals bars on their sides, and a relatively small
mouth. The spiny dorsal fin usually has 10 spines (but may have as many as 11
or as few as 9), and is broadly connected to the soft dorsal.The anal fin has
three spines. The back and upper sides are usually dark olive- green blending
to lavender, brown, copper, or orange on the sides, and reddish-orange or
yellow on the belly. Colors are more intense in breeding males, and vertical
bars may take on a reddish hue.
Habitat and Distribution
Bluegill are found across the continental United States. Bluegill like to live
in quiet, weedy streams and lakes. During the daytime, smaller bluegills
congregate near coves and under over-hanging trees and docks; larger fish prefer
deep water coming in to feed during the early morning and late afternoon. |
