redbreast sunfish
Lepomis auritus
Sunfish from rivers and lakes of eastern North America, introduced to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it has an ecological impact.
Also called: peixe-sol-de-barriga-vermelha, redbreast, chopa de abdomen colorado
- maximum
- 30 cm
- record/max.
- 0.8 kg
who is the redbreast sunfish
The redbreast sunfish is a centrarchid reaching 30.5 cm and 790 g. It is native to eastern North America and was introduced to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it is exotic. It lives in pools of streams and small rivers, with rock and sand bottoms, and also on rocky shores and vegetated margins of lakes. Adults eat terrestrial and aquatic insects, such as dragonflies and mayflies, and young ones eat bottom insect larvae. It is caught commercially, is a sport fish and has commercial use in the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the redbreast sunfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The female lays about a thousand eggs in a cavity dug by the male, who cares for the eggs and young alone.
identification
Short, deep-bodied fish with the typical shape of sunfish. The common name describes the most visible sign: the reddish belly. It lives in streams with rock and sand bottoms and on rocky lake shores. It reaches 30.5 cm, and the male digs the nest and cares for the eggs and young alone.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern North America; introduced to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it is exotic.
Habitat: Pools of streams and small rocky rivers, and rocky shores and vegetated margins of lakes.
rules for the redbreast sunfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Exotic species with an ecological impact where it has been introduced: do not transport live fish or release them into another river or lake. The fin spines can injure: hold it by the body, with a wet hand.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00832, b = 2.97; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Lepomis auritus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lepomis auritusNames by country and language.
