Breeding behavior is similar to other sunfish, with the males doing the nest building and guarding the young. Nesting sites are often near aquatic vegetation such as water lilies, cattails, lizardtails, and maidencane. They prefer water three to four feet deep, and a firm, shelly bottom, often near a dropoff. Spawning occurs during May, June and July when water temperatures reach 70 degrees. Widely known as shellcracker because of its fondness for snails Spawning Habitats In some areas snails may be secondary to insects as a food preference. Important food items include snails and clams which are crushed by grinding teeth in the throat larval insects, fish eggs, small fish, and crustaceans. Redears are opportunistic bottom feeders, foraging mainly during daylight hours on a variety of invertebrates. Males and females are similar in appearance, although the male is generally more colorful. Five to 10 vertical bars are more or less evident on the sides, depending on the size of the fish. The body is heavily spotted and they have long, pointed pectoral fins. The breast of a mature redear is typically a rather bright yellow. The body coloration is light olive-green to gold, with red or orange flecks on the breast. The redear is similar in shape to the bluegill, but lacks the dark spot at the base of the posterior portion of the dorsal fin and has a red or orange border around the "ear" flap. Common Names: bream, sun perch, blue sunfish, copperbelly Identification
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |