Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Lepomis gibbosus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 41–73°F (5–23°C)
pH: 6.5–8.5
Adult size: 9.8 in (25 cm)
Minimum tank: 70 gal (265 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Easy
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: United States, Canada
Family: Centrarchidae

Overview

The pumpkinseed is a colorful but pugnacious North American sunfish, best kept singly or with large, robust tankmates in a cool-water tank, as it is aggressive and territorial. It has strong throat teeth for crushing snails and will also take worms, insect larvae, prawn and larger frozen and pellet foods, treating small fish as a meal. It patrols the middle and lower water and produces a lot of waste, so it needs powerful filtration. Given its size and temper, a tank of at least 265 liters is a sensible floor, and it wants cool, seasonal temperatures rather than steady tropical heat.

In the wild

Pumpkinseeds are widespread across the United States and southern Canada, living in weedy lakes, ponds and quiet stream pools with plenty of cover. They tolerate a wide temperature span, from cold winter water to warm summer shallows, so an aquarium should stay cool for much of the year, roughly 5 to 23 C, and follow the seasons. Give them open water, planted or rocky shelter and clean, well filtered conditions with a pH from about 6.5 to 8.5. They are hardy but heavy feeders that foul water quickly.

Good to know

The pumpkinseed belongs to the sunfish family Centrarchidae and can reach around 25 cm, with a round, orange-flecked body and blue-green facial streaks. It carries specialized crushing teeth in its throat, which let it feed heavily on snails and other hard-shelled prey. Like its relatives, the male sweeps out a shallow nest in the shallows, guards the eggs and defends the fry. Controlled home breeding is barely recorded given the tank size these fish demand.

Did you know

The pumpkinseed carries flattened, molar-like teeth in its throat that can crack open snail shells, letting it feed on prey that most other sunfish cannot handle. Snails and small mussels can make up much of its diet.