The pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), also referred to as sun perch, pond perch, common sunfish, punkie, sunfish, sunny, and kivver, is a small to medium–sized freshwater fish of the genus Lepomis (true sunfishes), from the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) in the order Centrarchiformes. It is endemic to eastern North America.
Etymology Lepomis, in Greek, means 'scaled gill cover', and gibbosus means 'humped'. The defining characteristic of a pumpkinseed sunfish is the bright red spot at the tip of the ear flap. The pumpkinseed sunfish is widely recognized by its shape of a pumpkin seed, from which its common name comes. See also Wiktionary link below.
Distribution The pumpkinseed's native range in North America is from north to New Brunswick, Canada, down the east coast of the United States south to South Carolina, and extending inland to the middle of North America from Pennsylvania to Iowa, depending on various river systems. It has, however, been introduced throughout most of North America, and can now be found from Washington and Oregon on the Pacific Coast to Georgia further south on the Atlantic Coast. They are primarily found in the northeastern United States and more rarely in the south-central or southwestern region of the continent.
Introduced range
In Europe, the pumpkinseed is considered an invasive species. Since introduced to European waters, it could outcompete native fish, and the species is included since 2019 in the concern list of Invasive Alien Species of Union (the Union list). It cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union. The pumpkinseed has also been introduced to the United Kingdom, having arrived in the country around the same time as the populations in Continental Europe. Its range is believed to be restricted to Southern England and the West Country, with stable populations found in East Sussex, West Sussex and Somerset, though the species may potentially be present in the vicinity of London as well.
Description
Pumpkinseeds have a body shaped much like a pumpkin seed (thus the common name), typically about 10 cm (4 in) but up to 28 cm (11 in) in length. They typically weigh less than 1 pound (450 g), with the world record being 1 pound 8 ounces (680 g), caught at Honeoye Lake in Upstate New York in 2016. The pumpkinseed is vibrantly colored and may be orange, green, yellow or blue, with speckles over their sides and back and a yellow-orange breast and belly. The sides are covered with vertical bars that are a faint green or blue, which are typically more prevalent in female pumpkinseeds. Orange spots may cover the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, and the cheeks have blue lines across them. The pumpkinseed is noted for the orange-red spot on the margin of its black gill cover. The pectoral fins can be amber or clear, while the dorsal spines are black. They have a small mouth with an upper jaw stopping right under the eye. Pumpkinseeds are very similar to the larger bluegill, and are often found in the same habitats. One difference between the two species is their opercular flap, which is black in both species, but the pumpkinseed has a crimson spot in the shape of a half moon on the back portion. Pumpkinseeds have seven or eight vertical, irregular bands on their sides that are duller in color compared to the bluegill.
Ecology
Habitat Pumpkinseeds typically live in warm, calm lakes, ponds, and pools of creeks and small rivers with plenty of vegetation. They prefer clear water where they can find shelter to hide. They tend to stay near the shore, and can be found in numbers within shallow and protected areas. They will feed at all water levels from the surface to the bottom in the daylight, and their heaviest feeding will be in the afternoon. Pumpkinseed sunfish usually travel together in schools that can also include bluegills and other sunfish. Pumpkinseeds are more tolerant of low oxygen levels than bluegills are, but less tolerant of warm water. Groups of young fish school close to shore, but adults tend to travel in groups of two to four in slightly deeper yet still covered waters. Pumpkinseeds are active throughout the day, but they rest at night near the bottom or in shelter areas in rocks or near submerged logs.
Reproduction and life cycle Once water temperatures reach 55–63 °F (13–17 °C) in the late spring or early summer, the male pumpkinseeds begin to build nests. Nesting sites are typically in shallow water on sand or gravel lake bottoms. The males use their caudal fins to sweep out shallow, oval-shaped nesting holes that stretch about twice the length of the pumpkinseed itself. The fish remove debris and large rocks from their nests with their mouths. Nests are arranged in colonies consisting of about three to 15 nests each. Often, pumpkinseeds build their nests near bluegill colonies, and the two species interbreed. Male pumpkinseeds are vigorous and aggressive, and defend their nests by spreading their opercula. Because of this aggressive behavior, pumpkinseeds tend to maintain larger territories than bluegills. Females arrive after the nests are completed, coming in from deeper waters. The male then releases milt and the female releases eggs. Females may spawn in more than one nest, and more than one female may use the same nest. Also, more than one female will spawn with a male in one nest simultaneously. Females are able to produce 1,500 to 1,700 eggs, depending on their size and age. Once released, the eggs stick to gravel, sand, or other debris in the nest, and they hatch in as few as three days. Females leave the nest immediately after spawning, but males remain and guard their offspring. The male guards them for about the first 11 days, returning them to the nest in his mouth if they stray from the nesting site. The young fish stay on or near the shallow breeding area, and grow to about 2 in (5 cm) in their first year. Sexual maturity is usually achieved by age two. Pumpkinseeds have lived to be 12 years old in captivity, but in nature most do not exceed six to eight years old.
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