Pumpkinseed

The pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), also referred to as sun perch, pond perch, common sunfish, punkie, sunfish, sunny, and kivver, is a small to medium–sized freshwater fish of the genus Lepomis (true sunfishes), from the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) in the order Centrarchiformes. It is endemic to eastern North America.

Habitat

Pumpkinseeds typically live in warm, calm lakes, ponds, and pools of creeks and small rivers with plenty of vegetation. They prefer clear water where they can find shelter to hide. They tend to stay near the shore, and can be found in numbers within shallow and protected areas. They will feed at all water levels from the surface to the bottom in the daylight, and their heaviest feeding will be in the afternoon. Pumpkinseed sunfish usually travel together in schools that can also include bluegills and other sunfish.

Pumpkinseeds are more tolerant of low oxygen levels than bluegills are, but less tolerant of warm water. Groups of young fish school close to shore, but adults tend to travel in groups of two to four in slightly deeper yet still covered waters. Pumpkinseeds are active throughout the day, but they rest at night near the bottom or in shelter areas in rocks or near submerged logs.

Distribution

The pumpkinseed's native range in North America is from north to New Brunswick, Canada, down the east coast of the United States south to South Carolina, and extending inland to the middle of North America from Pennsylvania to Iowa, depending on various river systems. It has, however, been introduced throughout most of North America, and can now be found from Washington and Oregon on the Pacific Coast to Georgia further south on the Atlantic Coast. They are primarily found in the northeastern United States and more rarely in the south-central or southwestern region of the continent.

Behaviour

Pumpkinseeds are carnivorous and feed on a variety of small prey both at the water surface and at the bottom. Among their favorites are insects, small molluscs and crustaceans (such as small crawfish), worms, minnow fry, small frogs or tadpoles, and even cannibalizing other smaller pumpkinseeds. They are effective at destroying mosquito larvae and even occasionally consume small pieces of aquatic vegetation and detritus. They also will readily consume human food scraps, most notably bread which is commonly used for bait.

The pumpkinseed sunfish has a terminal mouth, allowing it to open at the anterior end of the snout. Pumpkinseed sunfish that live in waters with larger gastropods have larger mouths and associated jaw muscles to crack the shells.