Flatfishes, sunfishes, and perchlike fishes
Description
To 10" (25 cm); 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg). Robust, moderately elongate, depth less than distance from snout tip to dorsal fin origin; yellowish olive, sides sometimes with dusky bars, belly pale olive, median fins olive to dusky, edges whitish to light orange. Head broad; preopercular flap not extended; mouth extends to middle of eye. Pectoral fin short, rounded; posterior base of second dorsal and anal fins often with black blotch. Lateral line complete, 40-52 scales.
Habitat
Clear to turbid water with little or no current in smaller streams, swamps, and ponds.
Range
Native to s. Great Lakes, Mississippi River basin south to Texas; Alabama west to New Mexico; widely introduced in United States and n. Mexico.
Discussion
The Green Sunfish, one of the most common sunfishes, is tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions.
