Green SunfishDescription Green sunfish have the deep and slender body typical of the bluegill, redear, pumpkinseed and other sunfish, but they are slightly thicker than others. Coloration is dark green to bluish-green with emerald and yellow reflections on the sides, and yellow to white on the belly. In some geographical areas they have vertical bars on the side, while in others they are heavily spotted on the side. They have a large head and mouth with heavy lips, orange eyes and either blue spots or wavy lines on the face. The gill flap is dark, often black, but rimmed with yellow or white. They have a dorsal fin with 10 to 11 spines that is connected to a second dorsal fin with soft rays. The tail is only slightly forked and somewhat shaped like a broom. These sunfish can be distinguished from other sunfish by their noticeably larger head and mouth, body thickness, as well as the black and bright yellow or orange trimming on their fins. Where They Live Green sunfish are found in warm, slow-moving backwaters and quiet pools of sluggish streams, lakes and ponds. They are often near heavy cover such as brush piles, large rocks or thick aquatic vegetation, especially when predators are present. They are also found near many man-made structures such as boat docks and seawalls built near moderately shallow water. What They Eat Green sunfish are carnivorous, aggressive feeders. They eat both aquatic and terrestrial insects, favoring dragonfly and mayfly nymphs, beetles and caddis fly larvae. They also eat crayfish, mollusks and small fish. Green sunfish feed most actively around sunrise and sunset. They usually are ambush hunters that readily attach insects on the surface but will also chase prey into shallow open water. Because it has a larger mouth than other sunfish, it often consumes larger forage than other sunfish, thus reducing the competition between the species. When They Spawn Green sunfish spawning season begins in spring or early summer, as water temperatures rise to about 70 F, and may continue all summer in some bodies of water. Males build nests in colonies that are closely packed together. These colonies are built over gravel, rocky or silt bottoms in shallow water near shore. Several females may spawn together in a nest with one male. Females deposit between 2,000 and 10,000 eggs, which hatch three to five days later. Males aggressively guard the nests for up to one week after the eggs are deposited, or until newly hatched fry can swim freely. Spawning males take on orange to whitish fringes on their dorsal, tail and anal fins
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