1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful; best in groups in planted cool tanks.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
Peaceful; best in groups in planted cool tanks.
Check your local laws. Listed as threatened in New York State. Not CITES-listed. Other state rules not checked. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.
Frozen foods, small pellets.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Nest spawner · Hard
Males build and guard small nests in shallow water in spring and early summer.
Group in spring.
Cool planted tank.
Spring warming.
Up to 500 eggs.
Fry take infusoria.
Described by Girard in 1854. The smallest sunfish in New York and New Hampshire; it lives in dense weed beds and copes with very acidic water.
Charles Girard described this sunfish in 1854 as Pomotis obesus. It lives in acidic, tannin-stained waters along the Atlantic coastal plain. It is a small, peaceful sunfish kept by native-fish enthusiasts.
First described by Charles F. Girard in 1854. Named for 'obesus' means 'stout'.
12 facts checked with sources
Described by Girard, 1854. Not the same as the blackbanded sunfish (E. chaetodon).
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summary · New Hampshire Fish and Game: Banded SunfishLegacy has no family; value is new.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summaryTL. 3.5 in = 8.9 cm (NH Fish and Game); FishBase max 9.5 cm TL, common 6.1 cm TL; NYSDEC says they average 2 inches (5 cm). No aquarium source found; 9 cm is a maximum, typical adults are 5-6 cm.
New Hampshire Fish and Game: Banded Sunfish · FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summaryFishBase value comes from the Riehl & Baensch Aquarien Atlas (Ref. 1672). Coldwater fish; no other aquarium source found.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summaryConflict: FishBase 7.0-7.5 (generic aquarium atlas value) vs NH Fish and Game, which says the species lives in very acidic water (below pH 4.5). Legacy 5-7 not confirmed by a husbandry source.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summary · New Hampshire Fish and Game: Banded SunfishOnly FishBase’s generic 8-12 dH, which does not fit an acid-water species; left unknown.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summaryLives in dense submerged plants; no source gives a swimming level.
New Hampshire Fish and Game: Banded SunfishLegacy "Hundreds of eggs" fits.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summaryLegacy says "hardy and peaceful"; not confirmed by any source.
FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summary · New York State DEC: Banded Sunfish · New Hampshire Fish and Game: Banded SunfishExact New York rules on possession not read. "CITES Not Evaluated" is FishBase’s CITES field (heading and value on separate lines).
New York State DEC: Banded Sunfish · FishBase: Enneacanthus obesus summary