Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
- Look for a small, chunky sunfish with a blue-green sheen along its sides. The name 'cyanellus' literally means blue in Greek, reflecting this coloring.
- The green sunfish grows to only 3–6 inches on average, so a small palm-sized sunfish in the 3–6 inch range is a strong indicator of this species.
- This sunfish is notably aggressive for its size and will actively chase other sunfish away from weedy or vegetated areas, which can help tip you off to its identity by behavior alone.
- Green sunfish are commonly found holding near submerged vegetation, where they compete directly with other sunfish species for the same spots.