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Lepomis macrochirus

Rafinesque, 1819

Bluegill

G5Secure Found in 52 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101764
Element CodeAFCQB11060
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 arlequin (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
Reported to hybridize with LEPOMIS CYANELLUS, L. GULOSUS, and L. MEGALOTIS. 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 MACROCHIRUS and other species, pending a vote by the ICZN on a petition (by Etnier and Warren) to treat LEPOMIS as masculine for nomenclatural purposes. Three subspecies have been recognized, but stocking programs have mixed populations, and subspecies may no longer be recognizable (Page and Burr 1991, Lee et al. 1980).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-18
Change Date1996-09-23
Edition Date2010-01-21
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
This species is native to the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins from Quebec and New York to Minnesota and south to the Gulf of Mexico; also Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from the Cape Fear River, Virginia, to the Rio Grande, Texas and New Mexico; also northern Mexico (Page and Burr 1991). It has been introduced throughout North America and in many other parts of the world.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Body is deep and strongly compressed from side to side. Anal fin has 3 spines. Tail fin is shallowly forked. Spiny front part and soft rear part of dorsal fin are united. Rear part of dorsal fin has a large black spot (faint in young). Often there is a dusky spot at the rear of the anal fin. The sides have dar bars (except in turbid water) that may be thin and chainlike on young bluegill. Pectoral fin is long and pointed. Ear flap is black all the way to the edge. Sides and back are olive with yellow and green flecks. Breeding males have a blue head and back and a bright red-orange breast and belly. Maximum length is around 16.2 inches (41 cm).

Habitat

Habitat includes warm shallow lakes, reservoirs, ponds, swamps, sloughs, and slow-flowing rivers and streams. Bluegill often are associated with rooted aquatic plants and with bottoms of silt, sand, or gravel. They seldom go much deeper than 16 feet (5 meters). Large individuals seek more open water than do smaller ones. Eggs are laid in nests made in shallow water by males, on bottoms of gravel, sand, or mud that contains pieces of debris.

Ecology

Populations of stunted individuals often occur in closed pond systems with no emigration pathway.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs over an often extended period in spring and summer. Eggs hatch in about 2-3 days. Males guard the eggs and hatchlings. Spawners may be 1 year old, but usually are 2-3 years old. Bluegill often spawn in colonies that may include dozens of crowded craterlike or saucer-shaped nests.
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS5Yes
SaskatchewanSNANo
British ColumbiaSNANo
QuebecS4Yes
ManitobaS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
West VirginiaS5Yes
WashingtonSNANo
South DakotaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNANo
South CarolinaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
OhioS5Yes
MichiganS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
MarylandSNAYes
MontanaSNANo
KansasS5Yes
MassachusettsSNANo
VirginiaS5Yes
NebraskaS5Yes
Navajo NationSNANo
WyomingSNANo
VermontS5Yes
ConnecticutSNANo
IdahoSNANo
New JerseySNANo
New HampshireSNANo
UtahSNANo
District of ColumbiaSNANo
ColoradoSNANo
OregonSNANo
MississippiS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
DelawareSNANo
ArizonaSNANo
NevadaSNANo
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
ArkansasS4Yes
IowaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
LouisianaS5Yes
New MexicoSNANo
TennesseeS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
IndianaS5Yes
FloridaS5Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
CaliforniaSNANo
New YorkS5Yes
Roadless Areas (52)
Arizona (4)
AreaForestAcres
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Arkansas (2)
AreaForestAcres
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
PenhookOzark-St. Francis National Forest6,566
California (9)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Bald RockPlumas National Forest4,675
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Middle ForkPlumas National Forest29,278
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Slide CreekSix Rivers National Forest11,458
South ForkShasta-Trinity National Forest16,786
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Natural Area WsaOsceola National Forest2,543
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
Minnesota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Cabin CreekSuperior National Forest6,071
Mississippi (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii AreaHomochitto National Forest2,620
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Oregon (4)
AreaForestAcres
HomesteadWallowa-Whitman National Forest5,817
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Winters BayouNational Forests in Texas730
Utah (3)
AreaForestAcres
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
North FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest8,148
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (13)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Gum RunGeorge Washington National Forest12,620
James River AdditionJefferson National Forest1,140
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Little Walker MountainJefferson National Forest9,818
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
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