Wild Guide: Longear Sunfish

Longear sunfish are blue green on the back and sides, speckled with yellow and emerald. Their bellies are yellow or orange. They favor clear, permanent-flowing streams with sandy or rocky bottoms and aquatic vegetation, avoiding strong currents. Like smallmouth bass, longear sunfish follow turtles and large suckers about as they forage over the bottom, feeding on insect larvae and small crayfish that are exposed.

Did You Know?

Longears commonly gather about the nests of smallmouth bass and other sunfishes — including their own species — rushing in to feed on eggs or fry if the guardian male is momentarily distracted or frightened away. They are most active during the day.