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Illustration of Redbreast sunfish
fishing forecast

redbreast sunfish

Lepomis auritus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the redbreast sunfish

how to recognize it

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.

Also called: peixe-sol-de-barriga-vermelha, redbreast, chopa de abdomen colorado

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Pools of streams and small rocky rivers, and rocky shores and vegetated margins of lakes.

Eastern North America; introduced to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it is exotic.

rules for the redbreast sunfish

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

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%.

more about 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.

Family: Centrarchidae · omnivore

fun facts

  • The female lays about a thousand eggs in a cavity dug by the male, who cares for the eggs and young alone.

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Lepomis auritus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lepomis auritusNames by country and language.