Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2018 - 35

it regularly inhabits. The round
disc shape of most sunfish is
distinctive and a good identifying
characteristic. It serves it well as
it navigates vertical submerged
vegetation and helps it move
swiftly through obstacles to avoid
predation. The fin location, fin
shape and body shape allow for
fine movements and adjustments
in the water, allowing it to turn
around in its own body space.

Mouth and teeth

This male Bluegill shows where its name came from, with a strong blue area highlighting
The mouths of most sunfish
the bottom of its mouth and gill cover. Sunfish have both a spiny and soft dorsal fin on its
are small compared to its body
back, clearly visible here. Avoid getting poked by the spiny dorsal spines, which can painful
size. Sunfish have small, fine teeth
if handled incorrectly.
that are similar to bass and other
members of the sunfish family.
The sunfish sucks in its prey with
The eyes of sunfish
a large inhalation of water. It is also common to see sunfish
The sunfish has large eyes on both sides of its head. Its
tasting food before committing to eating it. In this case, the
field of view is binocular for a small area in front of the fish,
term "I've got a nibble" is an accurate description of how
and it almost always turns to face prey before attacking
sunfish feed. Sunfish eat small prey including minnows,
it. While its vision is good, its sight is not optimized for
aquatic insects, snails and mollusks. In some waters, sunfish
lower light conditions. Sunfish see best in the red and green
consume a fair amount of plant material, as well. Most
areas of the color spectrum and are not able to detect blue
sunfish are opportunists and will feed on almost anything
colors or ultraviolet light. Due to a very small blind spot,
living that can fit in its small mouth. Sunfish have even been
large sunfish can be hard to approach when fishing in
known to nibble on the occasional unsuspecting swimmer.
shallow water, unless you are directly behind it. Sunfish are
Green Sunfish have slightly larger mouths, allowing it
particularly good at seeing extremely close and can focus
to target comparatively larger prey like crayfish, larger
on zooplankton and other small prey directly in front of it.
minnows and other small fish.

Lateral line and sense of hearing

Sunfish are ambush predators that also use hearing and
lateral line sense to find and target prey in addition to eye
sight. It uses its lateral line regularly in the dense cover it
often inhabits. To test this while fishing, try vibrating a
small lure or bait at the top of the water in a lake or pond
with plentiful sunfish. Often, sunfish will rise all the way to
the surface of the water to see if there is an insect or other
food available. This can be particularly useful for anglers
fishing in thick weeds. Sunfish have an inner ear that allows
it to hear sounds underwater as well. Vibrations stimulate
the lateral line, the inner ear and otoliths (small bones in
the head that aid in hearing).

Sense of smell

The teeth of this Pumpkinseed are clearly visible just inside the
edge of the mouth. These fine teeth help capture small prey but
won't injure an angler when unhooking or handling the fish.
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Sunfish have a good sense of smell. Traditional sunfish
baits like worms and waxworms are often more effective
than artificial baits. Bluegills have been found to be picky
eaters by anglers and researchers as well. Sunfish can smell
a wide variety of scents, though anglers should note that
sunfish tend to favor live bait scents. Nostrils, or nares, are
located between the eyes and the mouth.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2018

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