- Lepomis
Taxobox
name = "Lepomis"
fossil_range=Middle Miocene to Recent
image_width = 250px
image_caption =Redbreast sunfish ("L. auritus")
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Perciformes
familia =Centrarchidae
genus = "Lepomis"
genus_authority = (Rafinesque , 1819)
subdivision_ranks =Species
subdivision = See text."Lepomis" is a
genus offreshwater fish in the sunfish family (familyCentrarchidae ) of orderPerciformes . Thetype species is "L. auritus," theredbreast sunfish . The species of this genus are known as common or eared sunfishes. The most recognizable of this genus is theBluegill .The common sunfishes, which grow to a maximum overall length of 12–40 cm (5–16 in), depending on species, are widely distributed throughout the lakes and rivers of the
United States andCanada , and several species have been transplanted and flourished around the world, even becoming pests. (Trade in some "Lepomis" species is prohibited inGermany for this reason.) Many are sought by anglers aspanfish , and large numbers are bred to stock lakes."Lepomis" species are sometimes referred to as bream, but the term more properly refers to the similar-looking but unrelated
Europe anCypriniformes of genus "Abramis ."The generic name "Lepomis" derives from the Greek "λεπίς" (scale) and "πώμα" (cover, plug, operculum).
Fossil record
The redear sunfish is the first-known species of
Centrarchidae based onfossil record s, as old as 16.3 miilion years, dating back to theMiddle Miocene [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=83690&is_real_user=1] .Species
*"L. auritus" - redbreast sunfish
*"L. cyanellus" - green sunfish
*"L. gibbosus" - pumpkinseed
*"L. gulosus" - warmouth
*"L. humilis" - orangespotted sunfish
*"L. macrochirus" - bluegill
*"L. marginatus" - dollar sunfish
*"L. megalotis" - longear sunfish
*"L. microlophus" - redear sunfish
*"L. miniatus" - redspotted sunfish
*"L. punctatus" - spotted sunfish
*"L. symmetricus" - bantam sunfish"L. gulosus," the
warmouth , was formerly "Chaenobryttus gulosus," the only species of that genus.ITIS still uses the old classification.References
*
FishBase : [http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/GeneraSummary.cfm?ID=Lepomis "Lepomis"]
*
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