Bluegill

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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Bluegill | status = Conservation status: Secure | image = Lepomis_macrochirus_photo.jpg | image_width = 250px | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Actinopterygii | ordo = Perciformes | familia = Centrarchidae | genus = Lepomis | species = L. macrochirus | binomial = Lepomis macrochirus | binomial_authority = Rafinesque, 1819 }}

The bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a species of freshwater fish. It is a member of the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native to a wide area of North America, from Québec to northern Mexico, and has been widely transplanted to stock game fish for anglers. It is the state fish of the U.S. state of Illinois.

Of typical sunfish body shape, the bluegill's most notable feature is the blue or black "ear", actually an extension of the gill cover called the opercular flap. It's name, however, comes form the bright blue edging visible on it's gill rakers. It can be distinguished from similar species by the (not always pronounced) vertical bars along its flanks. The bluegill grows to a maximum overall length of approximately 40 cm (16 in).

Image:Bluegills.jpg Bluegills are popular game fish, caught with both flies and live bait, chiefly at dawn and dusk. They are noted for seeking out underwater vegetation for cover; their natural diet consist largely of small invertebrates and very small fish. The bluegill is a schooling fish with schools of 20–30 individuals. These fish spawn in June in nests in the shallows. During this period males assume a very bold coloration, as they are guarding their nests. An interesting piece of their biology is that some males assume the coloration of the female fish so that the nest guarding males won't show aggression towards them. Then these "sneaker" males enter nests and spawn. Because of their size and the method of cooking them, bluegills are often called panfish. Bluegill are also commonly referred to as bream. They are one of the tastiest of the panfish.

In some locations where it has been transplanted, it is considered a pest; trade in the species is prohibited in Germany.

The specific epithet, macrochirus, derives from the Greek μακρός (long) and χείρ (hand).

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