What does a redbreast sunfish look like?

Why is a redear sunfish called a shellcracker?

Anglers nicknamed the redear sunfish “shellcracker” because they have teeth (called pharyngeal teeth) located in the throat area of the fish that are used to crush the shells of some of the redear’s favorite prey items—mussels and snails. Redear are often stocked in small farm ponds in combination with bluegill and largemouth bass.

What is the world record for redbreast sunfish?

Current World Record Redbreast Sunfish: 1 pound, 12 ounces (or 0.79 kg) in 1984 on the Suwannee River in Florida Where can you find redbreast sunfish? The redbreast sunfish is indigenous to the eastern coast of the United States.

What is the common name for sunfish?

Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) Common Names: Shellcracker, Sun perch, Cherrygill, sunny. Range: Redear sunfish are found throughout the southeastern United States, as far west as Texas and as far north as Indiana.

Is there an unpublished manuscript of the redear sunfish?

Unpublished manuscript. 16 pp. Whittier, T.R., and K.E. Hartel. 1997. First records of redear sunfish ( Lepomis microlophus) in New England. Northeastern Naturalist 4 (4):237-240. This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science.

What color is a longear sunfish?

It is one of the most colorful sunfish, particularly the breeding male, which is dark red above and bright orange below, marbled and spotted with blue. The longear generally has a red eye, orange to red median fins, and a blue-black pelvic fin.

What is the world record for sunfish?

The world record of a Redbreast Sunfish was made in 1984 with a catch of 1 pound, 12 ounces. Their meat is a favorite for many fish lovers due to its sweet, flaky white flesh. They are commonly dipped into a seasoned pancake batter then fried and ate.

How many eggs does a redear sunfish lay?

The female will lay up to 45,000 eggs which the male guards and aerates during incubation. Anglers nicknamed the redear sunfish “shellcracker” because they have teeth (called pharyngeal teeth) located in the throat area of the fish that are used to crush the shells of some of the redear’s favorite prey items—mussels and snails.

Can redear sunfish be used as natural predators?

We have experimentally shown that redear sunfish can be an efficient predator for reducing the size of a wild quagga mussel population in an environmental closure of the boulder area of Sweetwater Reservoir.

Is the redear sunfish native to Arkansas?

Remarks: Robison and Buchanan (1988) reported redear sunfish as widely stocked in Arkansas in ponds and reservoirs, presumably in native waters. Menhinick (1991) listed this species as “regarded as native but possibly introduced” and “introduced” into the Catawba, Yadkin, Lumber, and Waccamaw drainages.

Can redear sunfish help control Dreissenid mussels in North America?

At the very least, biological control of dreissenid mussels by redear sunfish can be considered as an option for integrated pest management in North America.

Is there a redear sunfish in New England?

First records of redear sunfish ( Lepomis microlophus) in New England. Northeastern Naturalist 4 (4):237-240. This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision.

How many spines does the dorsal fin of a fish have?

The dorsal fin usually has 10 spines but may range from 9 to 11, but the anal fin has three spines. The larvae of these grubs are often found in the wings and muscles of largemouth bass and other fish species.

What kind of sunfish are in the Atlantic Ocean?

The redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus, is the most abundant sunfish in Atlantic Coastal Plain streams. Like other members of the Centrarchidae family of sunfishes, it is a good fighter for its size and excellent to eat.

What is a longear sunfish?

The longear sunfish ( Lepomis megalotis) is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, of order Perciformes. It is native to the area of eastern North America stretching from the Great Lakes down to northeastern Mexico.

What is the biggest sunfish in Lake Havasu?

May 5, 2021 2:42 pm ET Lake Havasu, home of the world-record redear sunfish, yielded another potential record Tuesday afternoon when Thomas Farchione of Wisconsin reeled in a 6.3-pounder that measured 17 inches with a 20-inch girth.

What is the world record for redear sunfish?

Possible World-Record Redear Caught (Again) at Havasu This could be the third world-record shellcracker of the past decade at the Arizona reservoir. Wisconsin angler Thomas Farchione landed this 6.3-pound redear sunfish (aka shellcracker), which could be a new International Game Fish Association.

What was the biggest redear sunfish caught in Lake Havasu?

(Photo courtesy of John Galbraith, owner of Bass Tackle Masters tackle shop) When Dan Johnson wrote the In-Fisherman story on Hector Brito’s huge world redear sunfish in February 2014, the story centered around the catch of a 5-pound, 12.8-ounce sunfish from Lake Havasu that sent shockwaves throughout the angling world.

Is this the hottest thing happening for giant sunfish at the moment?

But since Brito’s fish had broken Robert Lawler’s 5-8.8 Havasu redear world-record mark set three years earlier in May 2011, Johnson concluded his world-record tale with a prophetic statement. His final words in that story simply said … “Havasu is the hottest thing happening for giant sunfish at the moment.

What is a redear sunfish (shellcracker bream)?

This is just a little guy. Redear sunfish aka Shellcracker Bream are like bluegills on steroids. For consistent redear success you’ll have to target them differently than their bluegill cousins. Like most fish, the best time to catch them is during their annual spawn, which occurs about a month earlier than the bluegill spawn.

How many eggs do sunfish lay at once?

A female may lay between 15,000 to 30,000 eggs during a spawn, but as with other sunfish it is unlikely that a female deposits all of her eggs in one nest. The eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days, and the fry remain in the nest guarded by the male. Redear growth is more rapid than bluegill.

How do redearr sunfish reproduce?

They form colonies near submerged plants, and the male builds the nest and later guards the young. Redearr sunfish reach reproductive maturity in the 2 nd year of their life. They do really mature faster compared to other sunfish. The eggs hatch within 10 days, and by the end of the first year, the fish will be 2 inches long.

How big does a redear sunfish get?

Redear sunfish is available in many areas for sale. The male operculum has a cherry-red edge; Women have orange color in this area. Adult fish obtained are between 20 and 24 cm (7.9 and 9.4 inches) in length. The maximum length is 43.2 cm (17.0 inches) for bluegill, compared to the maximum of 40 centimeters (16 inches).

What is the habitat of the redear sunfish?

Ecology: The redear sunfish is a molluscivorous species of the Centrarchid family. It lives in vegetated littoral zones of small to large lakes, marshes, and reservoirs, and streams or rivers with sluggish to slow-moving flow (French and Morgan 1995).

What fish have been introduced to Arkansas?

Several exotic African cichlids ( Oreochromis species) have been introduced into Arkansas reservoirs as forage for native predatory fishes. The Florida subspecies of largemouth bass was introduced to Arkansas because of its tendency to grow larger than the northern species.

Do redear sunfish eat clams in a pond?

Fingernail clams are common food for many fish, including redear sunfish. These small clams pose no threat to pond management, but it is likely that they are already in the pond and adding more will do little good.

Do redear sunfish eat Corbicula?

While redear sunfish will eat Corbicula, it seems that they can’t fully suppress them. This is probably due to the fact that they cannot eat clams larger than about a quarter of an inch in diameter. All mussels feed by pumping water through a filter where they take out the edible algae and bacteria.