Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
> Bluegill can live up to 10 years of age.
> The largest recorded Bluegill in its native range was 4.8 lbs (2.2 kg).
> Bluegill naturally hybridize with other sunfish species, especially Pumpkinseed.
Identification Tips
> Bluegill have a black dot or tab at the posterior end of the operculum that distinguishes them from other sunfish.
> Their mouth is small and ends before the eye, differentiating them from some sunfishes.
> They are shaped like sunfish, which are laterally tall, but skinny resembling a plate. They have joined dorsal fins with 9 to 12 spines on the front dorsal fin and 3 anal spines.
> Typically, they are greenish in color with a bluer colored dorsal side and 5-9 vertical bars down the sides of the fish. They have blue slashes from chin to rear edge of operculum.
Natural History
> Bluegill can populate rapidly. They often sexually mature and are ready to reproduce in their second year of life, but they often start spawning in their first year. Spawning begins at the end of spring and continues until fall if water temperatures allow.
> Bluegills reproduce in colonies where the males builds a circular nests that looks like shallow indents in the substrate, at depths of one to six feet in close proximity to each other. Several mating pairs may use the same nest over a spawning season. Females produce more eggs as they age; a four-year-old female can deposit 20,000 eggs in one spawning session.
> The common lifespan for a Bluegill ranges from 4 to 6 years.
Range
> Their native range includes the Mississippi River drainage basin north to St. Lawrence and Quebec and they do not border the Atlantic Ocean.
> In Oregon, they are commonly found in ponds and lakes, but are also well established in the Columbia River Basin and throughout the Willamette River.
Size
> Their size ranges from 5 to 8 inches (13 to 20 cm) in Oregon, but the state record was larger than 12 inches (30 cm).
Habitat
> Bluegill are typically found in slow moving waters in association with aquatic vegetation or other cover.
> They are commonly found in lakes, ponds, and off channel habitats of rivers or streams. They use habitats with sand, mud, or gravel substrates as well as vegetation.
Diet
> They primarily eat invertebrates such as worms, crustaceans, zooplankton, and aquatic insects, but they also are known to eat small minnows, fish eggs, and algae when food is scarce.
Management And Conservation Actions
> Bluegill represent an invasive species which has been stocked in Oregon for sportfishing purposes or as food for larger centrarchids.
References
For more information, see references.