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Return to All About Sunfish   

Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis
Common Name(s):

Sun perch, pumpkinseed, creek perch
Description:

Longear sunfish are deep, slab-sided fish with a small mouth. Their most distinctive characteristic is the long earflap that is nearly all black except for a narrow white border. Coloration includes olive or light orange with emerald blue wavy lines running from the mouth to the earflap.
Similar Fish:

Pumpkinseed, warmouth
Feeding Habits:

Longear sunfish feed more extensively at the surface of the water than some other sunfishes. They eat mainly aquatic insects, as well as mites, small crustaceans, fish eggs, mollusks, filamentous algae, and small fish.
Range:

Longear sunfish are restricted to freshwater areas west of the Appalachian Mountains. Scattered populations occur as far north and west as southern Quebec and Minnesota, and as far south and west as north central Mexico and New Mexico.
Habitat:

The preferred habitat of the longear sunfish is near beds of aquatic vegetation. They are frequently found in the same streams as spotted bass.
Typical Size:

The typical adult size of the longear is less then 6 inches and they weigh less then a pound. Most longear do not live past 4 years of age.
World Record:

1 pound, 12 ounces (Source - IGFA)
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