The Humble Sunfish

The Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) was described in 1858 by French ichthyologist Charles Frederick Girard. Lepomis means "scaled gill cover," and humilis translates to humble, referring to the small size of this species. These brightly colored fish are a smaller species within the Sunfish Family and the smallest of the Lepomids.

An Orangespotted Sunfish from an oxbow lake of the Lower Wabash River, IN. Photo Credit: Paul DeRolf

At first glance, these fish resemble a handful of their cousins, like Bluegill or Longear Sunfish, but have some characteristics that help distinguish them. The sides are speckled, with reddish-orange (males) and brown (females/juveniles) spots. They have red or orange spots on their cheeks. The pectoral fins are shorter and rounded; their opercular flap is black, extended, and outlined in white. This species reaches a max body length of roughly 15 cm (~6 in) and can reach up to 4 years of age.

Male Orangespotted Sunfish in breeding condition from an Ohio River tributary stream in Northern West Virginia. Photo Credit: Nick Milkovich

Orangespotteds reside in systems with turbid waters and soft substrates like floodplain lakes, wetlands, low-gradient streams, and reservoirs. Like their cousins, the Orangespotted Sunfish is a benthopelagic species, meaning they live and feed anywhere from the surface to the bottom. As summer gets into full-swing males intensify in color (like the individual above) and will start to construct nesting colonies in the shallows over sand or gravel beds. These nests are small, circular depressions roughly 6 inches in diameter. Males establish territories to guard and attempt to attract a mate. During this attempt at courtship, the males will grunt at females to draw them into the nest. Once eggs are deposited and fertilized, the males stay back to protect and clean the eggs, then defend the young until they leave the nesting area.

Distribution of Orangespotted Sunfish

Shown in the above image from FishMap the range covers a large portion of the Mississippi River drainage and some of the lower Great Lakes, along with a handful of spots outside of those. Because of their wide range, the Orangespotted Sunfish are considered a species of least concern for conservation status. Unlike the other species we have covered before, these little fish have a high tolerance to turbid water and siltation events. This trait allowed them to benefit from European settlement and expansion throughout North America. Due to increasing disturbances throughout their current range, Orangespotted Sunfish continue to expand their distribution either naturally or with assistance from "bait bucket biologists."

The easiest, and probably the most fun, way to find these fish is to catch them via hook-and-line. Have a small hook, a chunk of redworm, and find those backwater habitats within their range to chase them down. You could also take a net and run it through any aquatic vegetation in those same spots. Even though the Orangespotted Sunfish is common when found, they are often an overlooked and underappreciated species compared to their larger cousins. Just remember, no matter how you choose to observe them, make sure you continually enjoy, protect, and enhance our freshwater habitats!