What is the difference between bluegill and sunfish

There are many discussions on bluegill vs sunfish. Bluefish and Sunfish are similar to look but not the same. These two species possesses some clearly significant distinction. One of the important differences between these two is that sunfish are found in saltwater or in the sea, whereas bluegill is found in freshwater.

Bluegill is called bream, while sunfish is called salt-fish or sea sunfish. There is no way to mix them up. It is native to North America and lives in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. However, a bluegill Lepomis macrochlorus is actually a type of sunfish Centerchidae family. What does Bluegill eat? In the wild, they feed on insects, zooplankton, worms, and small fish. They will eat scraps of almost any food left in the water, such as bread, corn, and crackers. Bluegills mostly feed on insects, both aquatic and terrestrial.

Terrestrial predators include great blue herons, kingfishers, raccoons, and humans. Just like that is an almost endangered species of sunfish, it is a rare tasty and yes they are safe to eat. Areas of Taiwan, Korea, and Japan are some of the places you will enjoy a meal of sunfish cooked by world-class chefs. If you are a fishing lover, you must have come across several types of fish. The common fish caught by regular fishermen is a small species.

Now the problem comes when you need to identify the difference between the two. Many people tend to confuse sunfish with bluegill. One common reason people get confused is that these two types of fish look almost the same.

Except for an almost identical look, these fish come from the same family. In fact, the bluegill is classified under the Sunfish family. Because of that, some features are almost similar. However, while all Bluegill is under the Sunfish family, the opposite is not true. Not all sunfish are considered bluegill.

When we are talking about freshwater fish — or, at least in terms of simple classifications on a fishing website — we are generally going to be talking about the bottom three categories: Species, Genus, and Family. Across these eight genera are 38 distinct species , 34 of which are currently living. As we stated at the beginning of this article, there are quite a few species that, in some way, may resemble the ubiquitous bluegill.

We assume that you are on this page because you are looking for information on how to tell the difference between bluegill and other sunfish. First, we should clarify that there are thirteen different species in the genus Lepomis. These species include:. All of these species can be found in various locations across North America. Given the fact that same closely resemble the bluegill, it is easy to see where there may be some confusion.

Where can you find bluegill: Bluegill are native to the eastern United States and parts of northern Mexico, but can also be found in South Africa and parts of Europe. Looking for a high-quality panfishing reel that is great for catching bluegill?

Where can you find orange spotted sunfish? They can also be found near Ontario, Canada. Roanoke Bass Ambloplites cavifrons. Ozark Bass Ambloplites constellatus. Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu.

Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus. Shoal Bass Micropterus cataractae. Redeye Bass or Coosa Bass Micropterus coosae. Suwannee Bass Micropterus notius.

Guadalupe Bass Micropterus treculii. Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides. Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus floridanus. Orangespotted Sunfish Lepomis humilis. Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus. Warmouth Lepomis gulosus. Bantam Sunfish Lepomis symmetricus. Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus. Redbreast Sunfish Lepomis auritus. Dollar Sunfish Lepomis marginatus. Northern Sunfish Lepomis peltastes. Longear Sunfish Lepomis megalotis. Pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus. Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus.

Recommended fishing techniques include using live bait such as crickets, red wigglers, nightcrawlers or other insects on ultralight line. They tend to be the most active feeders at dusk, so fishing around this time will increase your catch. Bluegill respond really well to artificial lures see my top best Bluegill lures of all time here so be sure to have some in your tackle box.

Sometimes I prefer to use bluegill lures over live bait, because you can usually cover more water and discover more spots. Yes, redbreast sunfish are edible and highly desired panfish. They have white flaky meat full of flavor are very popular during the spring in summer. Check out my favorite panfish recipes here. The main spawning season for redbreast sunfish is April through October. Females can lay over eggs in one season.

Redbreast Sunfish can grow to 12 inches in length and are known to be aggressive once they reach inches in size. Be careful of other tankmates, and be sure to have a large enough setup to accommodate the fish. Bluegills begin the spawn cycle in the spring when water temperatures reach For more detailed information on Bluegill spawning click here.