All fish / Centrarchidae

Orangespotted Sunfish

Lepomis humilis

Also known as orange spotted sunfish, orangespot sunfish, dwarf sunfish, pygmy sunfish, 橙斑太阳鱼

This is one of the smallest Lepomis sunfish. Males are silvery blue with bright orange to red spots, and they have a long black ear flap edged in white. People keep it because it offers the colour and behaviour of a sunfish in a size that suits a home aquarium, and it can live in unheated tanks or ponds.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

10 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a single specimen

Diet

Carnivore: live and frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis, earthworms and small insects

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

USA: Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri basins, Great Lakes and Gulf Slope drainages

Breeding

In spring males dig saucer-shaped nests in gravel or sand in shallow water. They spawn with females there and then guard the eggs and fry. Breeding is quite achievable in a large tank or pond if the fish get a cool winter period.

Good to know

Males are territorial and will eat small fish and shrimp, so give them robust tankmates of a similar size. Collecting or moving native sunfish is regulated in many US states and is often restricted elsewhere, so check local laws before buying or releasing any.