FWS Focus
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Overview
Characteristics
Overview
Bluegill are normally managed by recreational fishing regulations that include creel, season, and size limits. They are a popular sport ?sh and stocked in many lakes and ponds for this purpose.Conservation, restoration, and preservation of prime bluegill habitat is another way of sustaining healthy, sustainable bluegill populations.The bluegill is a common host fish for freshwater mussels. The fish provides the mussel with a place to live(usuallyontheir gills)for the first part ofitslife.
Bluegillhave also beencalled bream, brim, sunny, or copper nose or generically called “perch” in some localities.In actuality, the bluegill is not a perchat allsinceperch belong to a separate family of fish not related to bluegill.
Scientific Name
Lepomis macrochirus
Common Name
Bluegill
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Characteristic category
Physical Characteristics
Characteristics
Color & Pattern
The namebluegillcomes from the bluish region on the cheek and gill cover.They are a deep, slab-sided (tall and flat) fish with a small mouth.
Size & Shape
The common length for bluegill is 7.5 inches (19.1 centimeters) with the maximum reported length being 16 inches (41 centimeters).
Weight
The heaviest published weight for a bluegill is 4 pounds 12ounces (2.2 kilograms).
Characteristic category
Life Cycle
Characteristics
Reproduction
Bluegill are prolific breeders and normally spawn in late springthroughandearly summer when water temperatures risewithin the range of65 to80 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to26 degrees Celsius). A male bluegill will sweep or fan out a6 to 12 inch diameterdish-shaped nests. Once the bluegill nest has beenestablished,the female will enter the nest and deposit her eggs, which is where the male fertilizesher eggs withhismilt (sperm). Themale bluegill will aggressively defend their nests against any intruders that come near the nest.Bluegillare consideredcolonyspawners, meaning 50 or more males may construct their nest in one location.
Life Span
Bluegill can live up to 11 years with average lifespan of 5 to 8 years.
Geography
Characteristics
Range
Bluegill range in North America extends from Canada to northern Mexico.
