Species profile
Spotted Sunfish
Lepomis punctatus
At a glance
Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 3 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Confirmed by 2,019 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, Georgia, and Alabama the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Named for rows of reddish-brown spots that align along each scale row on the body.
- Rarely exceeds 8 inches; most adults are 3–6 inches.
- Favors slow-moving, heavily vegetated waters and swamps in the southeastern U.S.
- Often found near submerged woody debris and root tangles.
Where Spotted Sunfish are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Spotted Sunfish
Background
The spotted sunfish (Lepomis punctatus) is a member of the freshwater sunfish family Centrarchidae and order perciformes. The redspotted sunfish, redear sunfish and pumpkinseed sunfish are its closest relatives. Lepomis punctatus is olive-green to brown in color with black to reddish spots at the base of each scale that form rows of dots on the side. The scientific name punctatus refers to this…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Spotted 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.