Longear Sunfish

Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)

One of the most colorful of all Ohio fishes, longears require streams having moderate gradients, clean substrates composed of sand, gravels, and cobbles, and low water turbidities.

Longears will utilize a variety of instream structure such as beds of aquatic vegetation, root wads and other types of woody debris for cover and loafing areas.

Increasing water turbidities and habitat siltation in many of Ohio's streams has resulted in the loss of many populations throughout Ohio, particularly in the larger rivers. The largest populations are currently found in the smaller headwater streams and in those moderate-sized streams having clear waters and clean silt-free substrates.

Many of the populations of longear sunfish in western and northern Ohio have been eliminated or greatly reduced as a consequence of the destruction of the riparian forests which help to buffer these stream systems from adjacent land uses.