Species profile
Redbreast Sunfish
Lepomis auritus
At a glance
Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 8 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 15 (Georgia); the most generous is 50 (Arkansas).
Confirmed by 9,435 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, Maryland, and Virginia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Males display a vivid orange-red belly that intensifies during spawning season, giving the species its name.
- Its ear flap is long, narrow, and solid black — one of the most distinctive ear flaps of any North American sunfish.
- Native to Atlantic slope drainages from New Brunswick, Canada, south through Florida.
- It typically reaches 6–9 inches and is widely considered excellent table fare with sweet, firm flesh.
- Redbreast sunfish prefer clear, flowing streams and rivers over still ponds.
Where Redbreast Sunfish are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Redbreast Sunfish
Background
The redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to the river systems of eastern Canada and the United States. The redbreast sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 30 cm (12 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790 g (1.7 lb).
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Redbreast Sunfish article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.