Pygmy sunfish

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Elassoma
Elassoma sp.jpg
Unidentified species
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Subfamily: Elassomatinae
D. S. Jordan, 1877
Genus: Elassoma
D. S. Jordan, 1877
Type species
Elassoma zonata
D. S. Jordan, 1877
Species

See text.

Everglades pygmy sunfish, Elassoma evergladei Pygmy Sunfish, Elassoma evergladei.jpg
Everglades pygmy sunfish, Elassoma evergladei
Okefenokee pygmy sunfish, Elassoma okefenokee Elassoma okefenokee male.png
Okefenokee pygmy sunfish, Elassoma okefenokee

Elassoma is a genus of freshwater fish, the only member of subfamily Elassomatinae of the sunfish family Centrarchidae in the order Perciformes. [1] It is sometimes classified as a separate family, the Elassomatidae, in a monotypic suborder, Elassomatoidei, in Perciformes. The type species is E. zonatum, the banded pygmy sunfish. The Elassomatinae are known collectively as pygmy sunfishes, but are considered by some authorities not to be true sunfishes, which are members of family Centrarchidae. Some researchers believe they are related to sticklebacks and pipefishes (order Syngnathiformes) rather than Perciformes, though genetic research strongly implies a close relationship with the centrarchids. [2] Currently the Integrated Taxonomic Information System classifies them in the family Elassomatidae rather than Centrarchidae. [3]

Contents

The pygmy sunfishes grow to a maximum overall length of 3 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in). They occur mostly in temperate and subtropical swamps, marshes, and other shallow, slow-moving, and heavily vegetated waters, across an area of the American South stretching from the Coastal Plain of North Carolina to central Florida, west along the Gulf Coast to eastern Texas, and north up the Mississippi River Valley to southern Illinois. The bluebarred, Carolina, and spring pygmy sunfishes have small localized populations and are considered Vulnerable.

The pygmy sunfishes are too small to be game fish, but are relatively popular as aquarium fish because of the males' iridescent colors and fascinating breeding behaviors. Eggs are laid on or beneath dense vegetation, and the male guards the nest area until the fry hatch and scatter. They adapt well to small aquaria and are relatively adaptable to a range of conditions, but seldom take conventional prepared fish foods, instead requiring small live worms, insects, or crustaceans as food.

Etymology

The generic name Elassoma derives from the Greek ελάσσων (elasson) meaning smaller and σώμα (soma) meaning body, in reference to the fishes' diminutive size compared to the typical sunfishes.

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are: [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centrarchidae</span> Family of fishes

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<i>Lepomis</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pumpkinseed</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warmouth</span> Species of fish

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<i>Ambloplites</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock bass</span> Species of freshwater fish

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<i>Enneacanthus</i> Genus of fishes

Enneacanthus is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species is E. obesus, the banded sunfish, and the species of this genus are known collectively as the banded or little sunfishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green sunfish</span> Species of fish

The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish. Green sunfish can be caught with live bait such as nightcrawlers, waxworms, mealworms, and blood worms. Grocery store baits such as pieces of hot dog or corn kernels can even catch fish. Green sunfish are aggressive and will hit small lures. They can be caught with fly fishing tackle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longear sunfish</span> Species of fish

The longear sunfish 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. The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm (9.5 in), with a maximum recorded weight of 790g (1.7 lb). Most do not live beyond six years. The longear sunfish is quite colorful, with an olive to rusty-brown back, bright orange belly and blue-green bars on the sides of its head. A unique characteristic is their elongated operculum flap, giving an appearance of a "long ear".

<i>Aplodactylus</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orangespotted sunfish</span> Species of fish

The orangespotted sunfish is a North American species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. These fish are widely distributed across the middle and eastern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the east, from the Great Lakes south into the Gulf Coast. The orangespotted sunfish is ecologically unique and thrives in turbid, shallow systems that have few predators and low oxygen contents. The species prefers vegetated areas in sluggish backwaters or lakes, and can also be found in turbid rivers. The orangespotted sunfish can extend its range in lower-quality waters, which is not characteristic to other sunfish. Orangespotted sunfish vary in total length and age for different river basin originations, but can be found to live four to seven years, and recorded lengths are up to 15 cm (5.9 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded pygmy sunfish</span> Species of fish

The banded pygmy sunfish, Elassoma zonatum, is a species of pygmy sunfish endemic to the United States, where it is found from Indiana and Illinois to Texas to the Atlantic coast. It prefers densely vegetated bodies of slow-moving water. This species can reach 4.7 cm (1.9 in) in total length, though most do not exceed 3.5 cm (1.4 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Coast pygmy sunfish</span> Species of fish

The Gulf Coast pygmy sunfish, Elassoma gilberti, is a species of pygmy sunfish endemic to Florida, United States. This species can reach 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in) in standard length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollar sunfish</span> Species of fish

The dollar sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is categorized as a warm water pan-fish. Early settlers said that this species of sunfish resembled a European species they called bream. Historically it has been found along the Southern Atlantic coastal drainages from North Carolina to Florida, and west to Texas. Lepomis marginatus mainly feeds on detritus and filamentous algae as well as a few terrestrial insects. The juvenile and mature fish do not have many predators, but the eggs in the nest are in danger of predation from a few different species of fish.

<i>Elassoma evergladei</i> Species of fish

Elassoma evergladei, or the Everglades pygmy sunfish, is a species of fish from the genus Elassoma that is endemic to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okefenokee pygmy sunfish</span> Species of fish

The Okefenokee pygmy sunfish, Elassoma okefenokee, is a species of pygmy sunfish found in southeastern United States, where it prefers waters with dense vegetation growth in the Altamaha drainage in southern Georgia south to Lake Okeechobee, Florida, interior lake basins in north-central Florida, and upper Suwannee, Withlacoochee, and Hillsborough river drainages on the Gulf Coast of Florida. This species can reach 3.4 cm (1.3 in) in total length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centrarchiformes</span> Order of fishes

Centrarchiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, sometimes included amongst the perciformes, with 17 families. This order first appeared about 55.8 million years ago in the Eocene Era, and is composed primarily of omnivores. The order has a wide range that includes the continents of Australia and South America. Many Centrarchiformes look essentially perch-like, featuring a stocky build and a spine-bearing dorsal fin, and range in size from 2.5 cm in length, to 1.8 meters for the Maccullochella peelii. The order Centrachiformes is not recognised in the 5th Edition of Fishes of the World.

References

  1. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 444–446. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.
  2. Jörg Bohlen; Arne Nolte. "Elassoma zonatum, E. okefenokee, and E. evergladei: Habitats and Comparative Observations" (PDF). Nanfa.org. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  3. "ITIS - Report: Elassomatidae". Itis.gov.
  4. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). Species of Elassoma in FishBase . April 2013 version.

Other sources