236 NORTHERN FISHES 



Figure 43. Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus, 4 inches long. 



it is not always common and is absent from many lakes. It is common 

 and sometimes very abundant in the shallow waters of many lakes 

 near St. Paul and in many small streams of southern Minnesota, Greene 

 (1935) reported it as common in southern Wisconsin. 



In the northern states this sunfish is usually small; its length here 

 seldom exceeds 4 or 5 inches. Consequently it has little value as a pan 

 fish and may be regarded as a nuisance when it becomes abundant. In 

 several lakes in northern Minnesota it is the only sunfish present and 

 consequently is responsible for the reports that these lakes contain 

 stunted sunfishes. Not much is known about its spawning habits in 

 this state, but they are probably the same as those of the bluegill. It 

 has often been mistaken for the bluegill because it has a black spot at 

 the posterior base of the dorsal fin, which, however, is at the base and 

 not above as in the bluegill. Many people have transplanted this fish 

 to other lakes under the impression that it was the bluegill. In the 

 transplanting of sunfishes care should be taken to avoid planting 

 this species, for it seldom reaches desirable pan-fish size. 



ORANGESPOT SUNFISH 



Lepomis humilis (Girard) 



This small, rather slender sunfish (Figure 44) may be recognized by 

 the bright-orange spots scattered over the body. The opercular lobe has 

 a pale margin and may be tinged with red or orange. Sometimes there 

 are longitudinal orange bars on the cheek. The pectoral fins are long 

 and pointed; their length is contained slightly more than 3 times in the 

 standard length. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7 to 9 soft rays. The 

 opercular bone is flexible posteriorly and extends to the middle of the 



