Centrarchidae

The sunfish are a family (Centrarchidae) of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus (consisting solely of the flier, C. macropterus). The family's 37 species include many fish familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies. All are native only to North America.

Family members are distinguished by having at least three anal spines. The dorsal spines are five to 13 in number, but most species have 10–12. The pseudobranch is small and concealed. Sizes of most are in the 20 to 30 cm (7.9 to 11.8 in) range. However, some are much smaller, with the black-banded sunfish at just 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, while the largemouth bass is reported to reach almost 1 m (3.3 ft) in extreme cases.^[1]

The male of most species builds a nest by hollowing out a depression using his tail, then guards the eggs.^[1]

Most sunfish are valued for sports fishing, and have been introduced in many areas outside their original ranges, sometimes becoming invasive species.

Fossil record[edit]

The earliest fossils of Centrarchidae are from Middle Miocene Nebraska, belonging to the redear sunfish (13.6–16.3 million years ago).^[2]

Classification[edit]

smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Recent genetic evidence suggests the following taxonomy of the centrarchid genera:^[3]

• family Centrarchidae
  • Subfamily Centrarchinae
    • Tribe Ambloplitini
      • Ambloplites
    • Tribe Archoplitini
      • Archoplites
      • Pomoxis
    • Tribe Centrarchini
      • Centrarchus
    • Tribe Enneacanthini
      • Enneacanthus
  • Subfamily Lepominae
    • Tribe Lepomini
      • Lepomis
  • incertae sedis
    • Micropterus
    • Acantharchus

References[edit]

1. ^ ^{a b} Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N., ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 187. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
2. ^ Centrarchidae. Fossilworks.org.
3. ^ Roe, K. J., et al. (2002). Phylogenetic relationships of the genera of North American sunfishes and basses (Percoidei: Centrarchidae) as evidenced by the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Copeia 2002(4), 897–905.