Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: SX 

ITIS Code: 168153          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The longear sunfish is considered extirpated from the state.  Since Iowa is at the northern limit of its range, this species was even historically rarely found in the state.  It was last collected in the Cedar River near Otranto  (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

Longear sunfishes proliferate in pools, reservoirs, farm ponds, and streams of all sizes, except extreme headwaters (Clay 1975; Cross and Collins 1995; Douglas 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981).  They are most often found in clear, permanent flowing streams with moderate current and low gradient, avoiding turbidity (Becker 1983; Cross and Collins 1995; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988), but some investigators report that the longear sunfish was only consistently abundant in sluggish pools and low gradient streams (Clay 1975; Tomelleri and Eberle 1990; Trautman 1981).  Longear sunfishes are found over rocky or sandy bottoms, often near aquatic vegetation at the margins of streams and pools (Cross and Collins 1995; Douglas 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). In the Missouri, the longear sunfish is commonly encountered along the stream channel in adjacent pools, inlets and overflow waters. It is also abundant along the shorelines of reservoirs (Pflieger 1997).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: Range Only

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

No Prediction

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Tomelleri, J.R., and M.E. Eberle.  1990.  Fishes of the Central United States.  University  Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.  226 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Goellner, K.E.  1976.  Field Notes: 1949-1976.  Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

Additional References:

Berra, T.M., and G.E. Gunning.  1972.  Seasonal movement and home range of the longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis, (Raf- inesque), in Louisiana.  American Midland Naturalist 88(2):368-375.

Boyer, R.L., and L.E. Vogele.  1971.  Longear sunfish behavior in two Ozark reservoirs.  Pages 13-25 in G.E. Hall, editor.  Reservoir Fisheries and Limnology.  American Fisheries Society Special Publication No. 8. 511 pp.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Echelle, A.A., and G.D. Schnell.  1976.  Factor analysis of species associations among fishes of the Kiamichi River, Oklahoma.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 105(1):17-31.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Gerking, S.D.  1953.  Evidence for the concepts of home range and territory in stream fishes.  Ecology 34:347-365.

Gunning, G.E., and C.R. Shoop.  1963.  Occupancy of home range by longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque), and Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus (Rafinesque).  Animal Behavior 11:325-330.

Hubbs, C.L., and G.P. Cooper.  1935.  Age and growth of the long-eared and the green sunfishes in Michigan, Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters 20(1934):669-696, pl. 104-107.

Huck, L.E., and G.E. Gunning.  1967.  Behavior of the longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis (Rafinesque).  Tulane Studies in Zoology 14(3):121-131.

Keenleyside, M.H.A.  1978.  Reproductive isolation between pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) and longear sunfish (L. megalotis) (Centrarchidae) in the Thames River, Southwestern Ontario.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 35(1):131-135.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Livingstone, A.C.  1987.  Habitat use and food habits of young-of-year centrarchids in the Jack's Fork River. Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. 155 pp.

Manooch, C. S., III. 1984.  Fisherman's guide - fishes of the southeastern United States.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.

Martin, R.G., and  R.S. Campbell.  1953.  The small fishes of Black River and Clearwater Lake, Missouri.  Black River Studies, University of Missouri Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri  26(2):45-66.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Probst, W.  1983.  Habitat use of centrarchids in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.  Master’s thesis, University of  Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  114 pp.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Smale, M.A., and C. F. Rabeni.  1995.  Hypoxia and hyperthermia tolerances of headwater stream fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  124:698-710.

Smith, P.W.  1979.  The fishes of Illinois.  University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois.  314 pp.

Sublette, J.E., M.D Hatch, and M. Sublette.  1990.  The fishes of New Mexico.  University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  393 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Werner, E.E., D.J. Hall, D.R. Laughlin, D.J. Wagner, L.A. Wilsmann, and F.C. Funk.  1977.  Habitat partitioning in a freshwater fish community.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 34(3):360-370.

Witt, A. Jr., and R.C. Marzoff.  1954.  Spawning and behavior of the longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis megalotis. Copeia 1954(3):188-190.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Garold W. Sneegas, copyright Garold W. Sneegas, Aquatic Kansas Images, http://www.nanfa.org/akiweb/AKI.htm.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of Garold W. Sneegas, copyright Garold W. Sneegas, Aquatic Kansas Images, http://www.nanfa.org/akiweb/AKI.htm.