Home/Species/ Redspotted Sunfish

Lepomis miniatus

Jordan, 1877

Redspotted Sunfish

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105029

Element CodeAFCQB11120

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderCentrarchiformes

FamilyCentrarchidae

GenusLepomis

Synonyms

Lepomis punctatus miniatusJordan, 1877

Concept Reference

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.

Taxonomic Comments

Formerly regarded as a subspecies of Lepomis punctatus. Warren (1992) examined morphological variation and considered biochemical data (e.g., Bermingham and Avise 1986) and hypothesized that punctatus and miniatus are separate species and that upper Coosa system and Lookout Creek (Tennessee drainage) populations are of uncertain taxonomic status. Etnier and Starnes (1993) tentatively allocated the problematic populations to L. punctatus and accepted Warren's recognition of miniatus as a full species.

Conservation Status

Review Date1996-09-23

Change Date1996-09-23

Edition Date2013-05-30

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Rank Reasons

Large range in Gulf of Mexico drainages of the southeastern and south-central U.S.; common in many areas; has declined in the north due to deterioration of water quality and loss of habitat.

Range Extent Comments

Range includes Gulf Slope drainages from about the Apalachicola drainage westward to the Nueces River, Texas; it extends northward in the Mississippi River basin to central Illinois; the species has been introduced in the Devils River (Rio Grande drainage), Texas, and in several places near the outer margin of the range. Lepomis miniatus hybridizes with L. punctatus in portions of Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.

Threat Impact Comments

Overall, no major threats are known, but abundance has declined in the northern part of the range due to deterioration of water quality and loss of habitat (Herkert 1992).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Swamps, sloughs, bottomland lakes, pools of creeks and small to medium rivers, less brackish portions of coastal estuaries; common in quiet or moderately flowing waters with heavy vegetation or other cover and bottom of mud or sand. Eggs are laid in a nest made on the bottom in shallow water near cover by the male.

Reproduction

Spawning probably peaks in spring and summer; male guards eggs; sexually mature at 2 years old or older (Manooch 1984, Lee et al. 1980, Etnier and Starnes 1993).

Palustrine Habitats

FORESTED WETLAND

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Texas	S5	Yes
Kentucky	S2	Yes
Illinois	S2	Yes
Arkansas	S4	Yes
Louisiana	S5	Yes
Tennessee	S3	Yes
Indiana	S3	Yes
Missouri	S4	Yes
Oklahoma	SNR	Yes
Alabama	S5	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
No known threats	—	—	—

Roadless Areas (1)

Texas (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Winters Bayou	National Forests in Texas	730

References (23)

Bermingham, E., and J. C. Avise. 1986. Molecular zoogeography of freshwater fishes in the southeastern United States. Genetics 113:939-965.
Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
Buchanan, Thomas M. (Department of Biology. Westark College AR). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
Burr, B. M., and M. L. Warren, Jr. 1986a. Distributional atlas of Kentucky fishes. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Scientific and Technical Series No. 4, Frankfort, Kentucky. 398 pp.
Burr, Brooks M. (Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University) and Donovan B. Henry. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
Herkert, J. R., editor. 1992. Endangered and threatened species of Illinois: status and distribution. Vol. 2: Animals. Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board. iv + 142 pp.
Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
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.
Mettee, Maurice. F. "Scott" (Icthyologist, Geological Survey of Alabama). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. April 2000.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
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.
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.
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.
Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
Warren, M. L., Jr. 1992. Variation of the spotted sunfish, <i>Lepomis punctatus</i> complex (Centrarchidae): meristics, morphometrics, pigmentation and species limits. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History 12:1-47.

Lepomis miniatus

Habitat

Reproduction

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