The Orangespotted Sunfish

The Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) is often confused with other sunfishes. This species is classified in the class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, and family Centrarchidae. One characteristic that makes them stand out from other fishes are their black and orange spots. Also, their operculum is lined with a solid white band. Nine to ten bars can be identified on this fish. The bars on the female have a light center, which is a way of gender identification when the males are outside of the breeding season and not brightly colored. Identification of species and gender is especially important when sampling fishes. During breeding season, males have a bright orange belly and metallic blue body while the females are much duller in color.
Orangespotted Sunfish are lotic fish found primarily in rivers and reservoirs and are tolerant of turbid water. The muddy, slow moving water found in the Big Sioux River and the Cheyenne River is a common place to find these fish. They range throughout the Great Lakes, to Texas, and to Ohio. Orangespotted Sunfish are the sunfish most adapted to pollution and turbid waters of low-quality water, which is why they can expand their range widely while other sunfishes cannot as easily. They have expanded farther eastward since 1990 and across the entire state of Ohio. They obviously have a high enough survival rate to expand that far in that short of time. Also, the rivers provide a large connection for the sunfish to flourish. Orangespotted Sunfish are more abundant in pools than any other habitat like runs or riffles and prefer places where refuge is nearby. They will reside in pools, then scatter in fallen logs and in holes between rocks to take
The compressifrom body shape is not as favorable for fitting into small spaces as the anguilliform, eel-like, style but with the small size of these fish and a larger amount and variety of refuge or cover found in rivers, they survive quite well. This compressiform body style allows this fish to make quick turns and short, fast bursts of speed with good maneuverability. The caudal fin is forked with a low aspect ratio meaning the tail is broad, the fish has good acceleration from the start, and the tail aids in hovering. A forked tail allows for good acceleration and maneuverability with a slight amount of drag. The dorsal fin has ten anterior spines that are directly connected to the rays of the posterior dorsal fin. Spines help protect this fish from predators and keep them balanced. The anal fin, outlined in black, also has three spines for extra protection. They have short and rounded pectoral fins which contribute to speed and allow the fish to fit into small crevasses. The primary swimming form of the Orangespotted Sunfish is labriform because they row their pectoral fins, an oscillatory fin motion. The mouth of these fish are terminal and moderately