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Male Ozark Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
Finally got to see a male Ozark Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) guarding eggs and colored up. The beating this guy put on any other fish within a half meter or so was impressive. He attacked my underwater rig and my hands. This fish is a good dad. Observed and photographed on Nature Conservancy property in the Kings River, Madison County, Arkansas, 26 June 2018.
The longear sunfish is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, of order Perciformes. It is native to the area of eastern North America stretching from the Great Lakes down to northeastern Mexico. The longear sunfish reaches a maximum recorded length of about 24 cm , with a maximum recorded weight of 790g . Most do not live beyond six years. The longear sunfish is quite colorful, with an olive to rusty-brown back, bright orange belly and blue-green bars on the sides of its head... more
