Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Redbreast Sunfish

Lepomis auritus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Redbreast Sunfish

G5Secure Found in 18 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101339
Element CodeAFCQB11010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCentrarchiformes
FamilyCentrarchidae
GenusLepomis
Other Common Names
Crapet rouge (FR)
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
Though the gender of the name Lepomis is feminine (see Bailey and Robins, 1988, Bull. Zool. Nomencl. 45(2):100), the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991) retained the masculine ending for auritus and other species, pending a vote by the ICZN on a petition (by Etnier and Warren) to treat Lepomis as masculine for nomenclatural purposes.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-02-10
Change Date1996-09-23
Edition Date2007-06-22
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
Native range encompasses the Atlantic Slope from New Brunswick south to central Florida, and west on the Gulf Slope to Apalachicola and Choctawhatchee drainages, Florida and Georgia. This species has been introduced in Gulf drainages as far west as the Rio Grande and in the Mississippi River basin as far north as Kentucky and Arkansas (Page and Burr 1991). See Houston (1990) for information on occurrence in Canada.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known. Dams and pollution presumably have caused local declines.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes rocky and sandy pools and margins of creeks and small to medium rivers, including tidal freshwater areas; also rocky and vegetated lake margins. In streams with rapids, this fish occurs in deeper slower areas over rock and gravel, often near cover or obstructions. It aggregates in deeper holes when water temperature fall below about 5 C. Eggs are laid in nests made by male on bottom; nests may be close together in ponds and lakes, usually on the downstream side of a rock in a stream.

Ecology

In a large Coastal Plain stream in Georgia, marked individuals usually stayed in a small area (within 33 m of original capture location), but some moved up to 200 m away (Freeman 1995).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer; male guards nest, fans eggs, and may briefly guard hatchlings; sexually mature when 2-3 years old; nests may be close together (Scott and Crossman 1973, Manooch 1984).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
VermontS4Yes
KentuckySNANo
FloridaSNRYes
MaineSUYes
MassachusettsS4Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
New HampshireS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
LouisianaSNANo
TexasSNANo
OklahomaSNANo
DelawareS4Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
ArkansasS4Yes
Rhode IslandS3Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
MississippiSNANo
New YorkS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MarylandS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownUnknown
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (18)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Florida (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
Georgia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,974
Ellicott Rock AdditionChattahoochee National Forest690
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Slide HollowPisgah National Forest193
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (28)
  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. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  4. Freeman, M. C. 1995. Movements by two small fishes in a large stream. Copeia 1995:361-367.
  5. 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.
  6. Houston, J. 1990. Status of the redbreast sunfish, <i>Lepomis auritus</i>, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 104:64-68.
  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. Manooch, C. S., III. 1984. Fisherman's guide. Fishes of the southeastern United States. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  23. 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.
  24. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
  25. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  26. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
  27. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  28. Whitworth, W. R., P. L. Berrien, and W. T. Keller. 1976. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. Bulletin of the Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey 101. vi + 134 pp.