Illinois State Fish
Bluegill (common name) Lepomis macrochirus (scientific name) Overview Bluegills are a very common type of sunfish found in ponds and lakes throughout eastern and central North America. They are olive to yellow in color with a blue or purplish sheen and vertical stripes. They have a distinctive dark blue or black flap behind the gills (hence the fish’s common name), and a prominent dark blotch close to the tail. The bluegill was selected by the schoolchildren of Illinois to be the official state fish in 1986. Young anglers like the fish because it is colorful, relatively easy to catch, and puts up a good fight. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 10 in (25 cm) Weight: Up to 5 lbs (2.15 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 11 years HABITAT Quiet, somewhat weedy lakes, ponds, bays, and slow-moving streams. Range: Eastern and central North America, including the lower Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Water type: Freshwater Water temp: 32–80°F (0-27°C) Conservation Status: Secure DIET Bluegills eat larvae, insects, plankton, snails, other fish, fish eggs (including their own), and sometimes aquatic plants. REPRODUCTION Fertilization: External Spawning frequency: June-July Mating behavior: Distinct Pairing Egg laying: Bluegills build saucer-shaped depressions in areas with sand, gravel, or mud bottoms 2–6 feet (60–180 cm) deep and very close to shore. Female bluegills spawn up to three times a year, releasing 2,000 to 80,000 eggs each time. Males assume a very bold blue and orange coloration on their flanks when they are guarding their nests, although some males assume the female’s coloration and sneak past guarding males. These "sneaker" males will enter nests and fertilize the eggs. USES Game fish OTHER NAMES Sun perch, bream, brim, blue sunfish, copperbelly, roach TRIVIA Bluegills, crappies, and sunfish are often called "panfish" due to fact that they are relatively small and are often pan-fried.
	Click to enlarge an image Bluegill Bluegill Showing Size Bluegill in Weedy Habitat Colorful Bluegill CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Centrarchidae Genus: Lepomis Species: L. macrochirus
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press