2 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Semi-aggressive and a strong predator of small fish; best in a pond.
82 species in our list are a good match.
Semi-aggressive and a strong predator of small fish; best in a pond.
Check your local laws. Japan: all Lepomis species, including the bluegill, are Specified Invasive Alien Species, so keeping, breeding and moving them need a permit. EU: not on the Union list of invasive species (only the pumpkinseed is). USA (example): Minnesota lets anglers aged 16 or under move up to four bluegills no longer than 10 inches for a home aquarium; otherwise live fish may not be moved from the water where they were caught. US rules vary by state. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.
Pellets, insects.
Tap a food to see what it is.
The sexes look alike most of the year; breeding males show more blue and orange on the flanks.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Nest spawner · Moderate
Males fan out round nests 20-30 cm wide in sand or fine gravel, in colonies in water under 1 m deep, grunt to attract females, and guard the eggs and young for about a week.
Pair.
Pond with gravel.
Spring warming.
A female can carry up to about 50,000 eggs, laid in several nests; eggs hatch in a few days and the young leave the nest after about a week.
Fry feed on plankton.
A large North American sunfish stocked in ponds for angling. It has been introduced worldwide and is a pest in many places; in Japan it is a legally designated invasive species.
Constantine Rafinesque described the bluegill in 1819. It is one of the best-known freshwater fishes in North America and a popular angling species. It has been introduced in many countries.
First described by Constantine S. Rafinesque in 1819. Named for 'macrochirus' means 'large hand', for its pectoral fins.
15 facts checked with sources
Coldwater/temperate POND fish. "Coppernose" (legacy variant) is the Florida/southern subspecies L. m. mystacalis, which Catalog of Fishes treats as a synonym.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Lepomis macrochirus (online version updated 21 Sep. 2026) · FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryLegacy has no family; value is new.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summarysize-pick: TL. FishBase common length 19.1 cm; ADW typical adults 10-15 cm; 41 cm is a record. Legacy 25 cm is above the common size.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summary · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirusLegacy range is inside FishBase tolerance.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryFishBase aquarium-literature range; legacy 6.5-8 is wider.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryLegacy has no hardness; FishBase value.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryTypical 4-6 years wild, 8-11 in captivity. Legacy 5-10.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirus · FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryEats small fish; nesting males defend nests.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summary · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirusNo source says mid-water in substance.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryLegacy has no range; value is new.
FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summary · Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Lepomis macrochirus (online version updated 21 Sep. 2026)Spawns at 17-31 °C (ADW).
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirus · FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summaryLegacy "thousands of eggs" is consistent.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirusLegacy "banned in many countries" is only partly sourced: Japan bans it; it is NOT on the EU invasive list (only the pumpkinseed is). Other national bans not checked.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Lepomis macrochirus · FishBase: Lepomis macrochirus summary · Ministry of the Environment, Japan: List of Specified Invasive Alien Species (特定外来生物等一覧)The EU list (114 species, per Wikipedia citing Reg. 2025/1422) names only L. gibbosus among sunfishes; national EU rules may still restrict bluegill. Minnesota is one state example only.
Ministry of the Environment, Japan: List of Specified Invasive Alien Species (特定外来生物等一覧) · Minnesota Statutes 2025, section 97C.205 Transporting and stocking fish · Wikipedia: List of invasive alien species of Union concern (cites Reg. (EU) 1143/2014 and Implementing Reg. (EU) 2019/1262; EUR-Lex itself blocked the fetch tool)