SUNFISH, GREEN
TBA
The Green Sunfish is blue-green in color on its back and sides with yellow-flecked bony-ridged scales, as well as yellow coloration on the ventral sides. They also have a dark spot located near the back end of the dorsal fin, the bases of the anal fins. and on the ear plate. It has a relatively big mouth and long snout that extends to beneath the middle of the eye. Its pectoral fins are short with rounded edges containing 13-14 pectoral fin rays, a dorsal fin with about 10 dorsal spines and a homocercal tail. The typical length ranges from about 3-7 in and usually weighs less than a pound. The Green Sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 30 cm (12 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 960 g (2.2 lb). Identification of sunfish species from one another can sometimes be difficult as these species frequently hybridize.
They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish. Green Sunfish can be caught with live bait such as nightcrawlers, waxworms, and mealworms. Grocery store baits such as pieces of hot dog or corn kernels can even catch fish. Small lures have been known to occasionally catch Green Sunfish. They can be caught with fly fishing tackle.
Internationally
The Green Sunfish is native to a wide area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada, to the Gulf Coast in the United States, and northern Mexico. They are specifically indigenous to a number of lakes and rivers such as the Great Lakes and some of the basins of the Mississippi River. Green Sunfish have been introduced to many bodies of water all across the United States, so are frequently encountered. L. cyanellus has been transplanted to many countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, where it has become established in some.