Redear Sunfish, Lepomis Microlophus, also widely known as the shellcracker, cherry gill, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish, chinquapin, sun perch, and Georgia bream.
The scientific name, Lepomis microlophus, comes from Lepomis, meaning “scaled gill cover,” and microlophus, meaning “small nape” in Greek. The redear is included in the Centrarchidae family, commonly known by the name “sunfish.”
The redear sunfish’s coloration varies greatly, depending on factors such as age, sex, and water quality. The redear sunfish is best known for the red edge of its operculum or “ear” flap. Only males have this flap coloration, while females have a more orange coloration to them. Their coloration can range from a dark olive green above and an almost entirely white bottom belly. Most of them will have green to yellow sides.
The average body size is 0.45 kg (0.99 lb). An adult can be around 20 and 24 cm (7.9 – 9.4 in) in length. They have a dorsal fin that usually has nine to eleven spines. Meanwhile, their anal fin only has three spines. The spinous dorsal fin is in front of a soft dorsal fin.
Finally, this deep-bodied fish has a unique set of teeth in their small mouth called pharyngeal teeth. These teeth are used to crush their favorite food, snails and mussels, which is where they get their nickname, shellcracker.
Habitat:
Redear sunfish became so popular when they were introduced to the majority of waters in North America, so much so that they’ve become an invasive species in many areas. However, they are originally native to some waters in the U.S.
This shellcracker was initially from Florida, North Carolina, southern Missouri, south of the Rio Grande drainage in Texas, and west to southern Illinois. They mostly inhabit warm and quiet freshwaters such as lakes, streams, reservoirs, and ponds. You can find them congregating in groups near vegetation, fallen logs, and freshwater marsh wetlands.
Diet & Reproduction:
The diet consists mostly of snails and mussels, with the occasional crayfish, insect larvae, and other small bottom-dwelling creatures.
As for reproduction, the redear sunfish can reach sexual maturity at the end of their second year. They typically spawn during warm months, which are late spring and early summer. There are usually around one or two peaks of activity during these seasons. Redear spawn their eggs in deeper waters, compared to other sunfish species. They congregate when spawning, making “beds.” These nests are depressions in silt or gravel, shaped like saucers, and located relatively close to each other.
