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Centrarchiformes (Basses) >
Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
Etymology: Lepomis: Greek, lepis = scaled + Greek, poma = gill cover, operculum (Ref. 45335, 79012); marginatus: marginatus meaning edged, referring to the pale-bordered opercular lobe (Ref. 10294).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Subtropical; 36°N - 26°N
North America: Tar River in North Carolina to Brazos River in Texas in the USA; Former Mississippi Embayment in the USA from western Kentucky and eastern Arkansas south to Gulf of Mexico.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 12.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5723); common length : 6.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. reported age: 6 years (Ref. 12193)
Inhabits sand-bottomed and mud-bottomed, usually brushy, pools of creeks and small to medium rivers; and also swamps (Ref. 5723, 10294). Feeds on midge larvae and microcrustaceans (Ref. 10294).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p. (Ref. 5723)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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