Teleostei (teleosts) >
Centrarchiformes (Basses) >
Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
Etymology: Ambloplites: Greek, ambloo = blunt + Greek, oplites = shield (Ref. 45335); rupestris: rupestris meaning among the rocks (Ref. 10294).
More on author: Rafinesque.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: ? - 7.0; dH range: 10 - ?; depth range 0 - 21 m (Ref. 120609). Subtropical; 10°C - 29°C (Ref. 12741); 53°N - 34°N, 104°W - 71°W (Ref. 86798)
North America: St. Lawrence River-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to Saskatchewan in Canada, and south to northern Georgia, northern Alabama and Missouri (native only to Meramec River) in the USA (Ref. 86798). Introduced to Europe (Ref. 59043).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 43.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 15.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 1.4 kg (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 18 years (Ref. 72462)
Occurs usually in rocky areas in shallow water of lakes, and the lower, warm reaches of streams (Ref. 1998). Inhabits vegetated and brushy stream margins, pools of creeks and small to medium rivers, and rocky and vegetated margins of lakes (Ref. 86798). Commonly found in clear, silt-free rocky streams (Ref. 86798). Feeds on small crustaceans, insects and fish (Ref. 30578). An introduced species in Europe which avoids swift waters and occurs in a wide variety of slow-flowing to stagnant waters such as large rivers, lakes, ponds, canals and backwaters (Ref. 59043).
The males care about the eggs for about 14 days (Ref. 93240) as well as the young (Ref. 2060). In Europe where it is introduced, males fan and defend the nests, which are shallow depressions in sand or gravel bottom along shallow shores. A male may spawn with several females in one nest and guard the nest until larvae leave the nest (Ref. 59043).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01288 (0.01045 - 0.01588), b=3.09 (3.03 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time: 5.7 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-3; tmax=10; Fec=3,000-11,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100).
