![]() ![]() As you can tell from the list above, popular species like largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, and others can technically be classified as “sunfish.” Under the Centrarchidae are eight specific genera, which include:Īcross these eight genera are 38 distinct species, 34 of which are currently living. When we are talking about freshwater fish - or, at least in terms of simple classifications on a fishing website - we are generally going to be talking about the bottom three categories: Species, Genus, and Family.įrom a biological standpoint, when we are talking about “sunfish,” we are actually referring to a family of ray-finned, freshwater fish known by the Latin name Centrarchidae. If it’s been a while since your last biology course, it might help to do a quick review of the hierarchy of biological classifications.īiological Classifications Chart (photo via Peter Halasz/Pengo/Wikimedia Commons) ![]() What is a Sunfish: A Quick Biology Lesson What surprises lots of people - some of whom have been fishing for years - is that there are actually over a dozen distinct species in the same genus as the bluegill.Įven more so, you may be surprised to find that the term “sunfish” can be used to refer to a much larger pool of species than expected.īelow, we are going to take a look at the different species of sunfish and how to identify each. On the other end of the line, you were likely to find a fish that the majority of folks would simply call a “bluegill.” Whether we fished a creek, a pond, a lake, or a river, there isn’t much that compares to getting a bite, setting the hook, reeling in, and watching your catch come to the surface.įor many of us, that first catch came while using a simple hook, bobber, and worm rig. Please see our Affiliate Disclosure for more information.įor many anglers, our fascination with fishing began at an early lake. Articles on Premier Angler may contain affiliate links.
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