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Home/Species/ Bluespotted Sunfish

Enneacanthus gloriosus

(Holbrook, 1855)

Bluespotted Sunfish

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102329
Element CodeAFCQB10020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCentrarchiformes
FamilyCentrarchidae
GenusEnneacanthus
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Current data indicate that E. gloriosus and E. obesus are not monophyletic taxa and appear to demonstrate either incomplete lineage sorting or a polyphyletic E. obesus; further study is warranted (Darden 2008).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2011-11-30
Change Date1996-09-23
Edition Date2011-11-30
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The native range includes coastal lowlands (Coastal Plain and lower and middle Piedmont) from extreme southern New York (lower Hudson River drainage) south to southern and extreme western Florida, lower Tombigbee River (Alabama), and Biloxi Bay system of Mississippi (Lee et al. 1980, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Ross 2001). Introduced and established in small parts of the Finger Lakes drainage in New York (Werner, Copeia 1972:878-879; Smith 1985) and in the lower Mississippi River basin in Mississippi (Ross 2001).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) (e.g., see maps in Lee et al. 1980, Menhinick 1991, and Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species is common over sand or mud in pools and backwaters of heavily vegetated sluggish creeks and medium-sized rivers, and similar situations in ponds, lakes, and small impoundments (Lee et al. 1980, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994); in some areas it inhabits moderate-gradient headwaters with pools and runs and cover consisting of submerged plants or tree roots (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). Habitat includes slightly brackish waters along the coast, but this fish is more numerous tidal and nontidal freshwater habitats. Eggs are laid on the bottom or among plants in a solitary nest made by the male in a small territory (Cooper 1983).

Reproduction

Multiple batch spawner (Snyder and Peterson 1999). Spawning season extended from at least July to early September in New Jersey, May-June in Potomac River in Virginia, April-September in Mississippi (Snyder and Peterson 1999); gravid females April-October in Florida. Size and age at maturity varies geographically (Snyder and Peterson 1999).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
DelawareS5Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
New YorkS3Yes
MarylandS4Yes
FloridaS4Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
MississippiS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (2)
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Catfish Lake South - BCroatan National Forest172
References (31)
  1. Alderman, John (NC Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February 2000.
  2. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  3. Breder, C.M., Jr. and A.C. Redmond. 1929. The bluespotted sunfish: a contribution to the life history and habits of <i>Enneacanthus</i> with notes on other Lepominae. Zoologica 9(10): 379-401.
  4. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  5. Darden, T. L. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography within the <i>Enneacanthus </i>sunfishes (Perciformes: Centrarchidae). Copeia 2008:630-636.
  6. Hoehn, Theodore S. and D. Gray Bass (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)). 2000a. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  7. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  8. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  9. LeGrand, Harry (North Carolina Natural Heritage Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Larry Master, ABI. July 2000.
  10. Loftus, W.F. and Kushlan, J.A. 1987. Freshwater fishes of southern Florida. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 31(4): 147-344.
  11. Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2005. Fishes of the middle Savannah River basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens. xiv + 460 pp.
  12. Master, L. L. 1996. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Progress Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. 60 pp.
  13. McIninch, Stephen P. (Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2001.
  14. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  15. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  16. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  17. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  18. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  19. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  20. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  21. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  22. Rohde, Fritz (Icthyologist, North Carolina Division of Marine Fishes). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  23. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  24. Ross, Stephen T. (University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  25. Ross, S. T. (with W. M. Brennaman, W. T. Slack, M. T. O'Connell, and T. L. Peterson). 2001a. The Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi: Mississippi. xx + 624 pp.
  26. Skelton, Christopher E. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Natural Heritage Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  27. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
  28. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  29. Snyder, D. J., and M. S. Peterson. 1999. Life history of a peripheral population of bluespotted sunfish Enneacanthus gloriosus (Holbrook), with comments on geographic variation. American Midland Naturalist 141:345-357.
  30. Werner, R.G. 1972. Bluespotted sunfish, <i>Enneacanthus gloriosus</i>, in Lake Ontario drainage. Copeia (4):878-879.
  31. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.