Northern sunfish
Northern sunfish | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Centrarchidae |
Genus: | Lepomis |
Species: | L. peltastes
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Binomial name | |
Lepomis peltastes Cope, 1870
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The northern sunfish (Lepomis peltastes) is a North American freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae). Lepomis peltastes was previously recognized as a subspecies of longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis), but is now widely considered a distinct species.
Description
[edit]Northern sunfish have 34-38 ctenoid scales along their lateral line.[2] The pectoral fin of this species is much shorter and rounded than other sunfishes.
The northern sunfish and longear sunfish are similar in appearance. Both are vibrantly-colored fish with distinct opercles. The opercle of L. peltastes tends to be steeply angled and stout, while those on L. megalotis are straighter and longer in comparison. Although each species display similar coloration, the patterns which form from these colors are different. The northern sunfish tends to have more distinct turquoise vertical barring than longear sunfish, the latter of which contains turquoise speckling or accents across the body. Some forms of longear sunfish appear much more red and orange than northern sunfish. Additionally, adult northern sunfish are typically smaller than longear sunfish, reaching a maximum total length around 12.7 cm (5.0 in).[3] Age estimation with scales suggested the average maximum lifespan was four years, although a nine year old specimen was observed in Michigan.[2]
Taxonomy
[edit]Due to observed phenotypic variation across the range of longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis was described as having the following subspecies: L. m. megalotis, L. m. peltastes, L. m. aquilensis, L. m. breviceps, and L. m. occidentalis.[4] Unlike the other four subspecies, L. m. peltastes was elevated to species without formal justification decades after its description.[5] Despite this discrepancy, the use of L. peltastes as a valid scientific name was widely accepted. More recent phylogenomic analyses now support the separation of L. peltastes as a distinct species.[6]
Habitat and range
[edit]Northern sunfish inhabit the northernmost portions of North America, such as the Saint Lawrence River and Great Lakes basins, as well as Hudson Bay, the upper Mississippi River, and portions of Ontario, Canada.[3] Populations tend to be scattered within these areas. This fish is generally found in small, quiet, temperate streams or rivers. This species prefers vegetation and back bays where they can avoid strong currents. The northern sunfish is also found in the littoral zone of clear lakes.[2]
The simplest way to determine whether a longear sunfish is L. peltastes or L. megalotis is by range, although there is substantial overlap and introgression between these two species.[6][7]
Diet
[edit]Much like longear sunfish, northern sunfish are omnivorous. They feed on terrestrial insects and other invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans.[2] Stomach contents analyzed in Minnesota contained Gammarus spp., Trichoptera larvae, and Chironomidae larvae.[8]
Management
[edit]Northern sunfish are not considered a gamefish, however population declines have occurred across much of its range over the last century. The northern sunfish is listed as threatened in Wisconsin (under the species name L. megalotis) and New York.[9][10] Additionally, it is listed as a species of special concern in Minnesota and within Canada.[11][12] Populations appear stable in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio but this sunfish is presumed extirpated in Iowa and Pennsylvania.[1] Declines in northern sunfish are speculated to be caused by siltation and water quality deterioration although competitive interactions with round goby and green sunfish have been implicated as well.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Lepomis peltastes Northern Longear Sunfish". NatureServe. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d Becker, G.C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Madison Press, Madison, WI. Pages 834–839
- ^ a b Page, Lawrence M.; Burr, Brooks M., eds. (2011). Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico (2 ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-24206-4.
- ^ Bailey R.M. 1938. A systematic revision of the centrarchid fishes with a discussion of their distribution, variations, and probable interrelationships [Ph.D. dissertation]. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.
- ^ Bailey R.M., Latta W.C., Smith G.R. 2004. An atlas of Michigan fishes with keys and illustrations for their identification. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 192:1–214.
- ^ a b Daemin Kim, Bruce H Bauer, Thomas J Near, Introgression and Species Delimitation in the Longear Sunfish Lepomis megalotis (Teleostei: Percomorpha: Centrarchidae), Systematic Biology, Volume 71, Issue 2, March 2022, Pages 273–285, https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syab029
- ^ "Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) - Species Profile". USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Retrieved 2024-08-11.
- ^ Jean Porterfield; Patrick Ceas (2021). Life histories of the northern longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis peltastes) and pugnose shiner (Notropis anogenus) in Minnesota, with examinations of other rare non-game fishes (PDF) (Report). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Wisconsin's Endangered and Threatened Species List". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Endangered & Threatened Fishes Of New York". New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Minnesota List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species" (PDF). Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Species at risk public registry". Species at Risk Act: Species registry. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Species Status Assessment: Northern Sunfish" (PDF). New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 2024-08-27.