Species profile
Plains Longear Sunfish
Lepomis aquilensis
Identify Plains Longear Sunfish (Lepomis aquilensis) from a photo: try it free in your browser, or get unlimited IDs, no sign-up, with the CatchRules app.
At a glance
Plains Longear Sunfish (Lepomis aquilensis) is a bony-fish species present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
Confirmed by 4,832 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Native to river drainages of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana — a south-central specialty.
- Males develop vivid blue-green and orange coloration during the spring spawning season.
- Like all Lepomis sunfish, males excavate shallow, circular nests in sand or gravel and guard the eggs aggressively.
- Closely related to the Longear Sunfish, it was historically lumped with it as a single species.
- Adults rarely exceed 5 inches, making it one of the smaller sunfish in the genus.
Where Plains Longear Sunfish are seen
Background
The longear sunfish is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, of order Centrarchiformes. It is native to the area of eastern North America stretching from the Great Lakes down to northeastern Mexico. The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm (9.4 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790 g (1.74 lb). Most do not live beyond six years.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Plains Longear Sunfish article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Plains Longear Sunfish?
Plains Longear Sunfish (Lepomis aquilensis) is a bony-fish species present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
What is the scientific name for Plains Longear Sunfish?
Plains Longear Sunfish is Lepomis aquilensis.
Are there fishing rules for Plains Longear Sunfish?
Plains Longear Sunfish does not currently have published fishing rules in CatchRules' curated jurisdictions. Identification, range, and habitat are still tracked above.
How can I identify Plains Longear Sunfish?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules app for iPhone or Android — on-device identification recognizes Plains Longear Sunfish along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.