Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Teleostei |
| Order | Centrarchiformes |
| Family | Centrarchidae |
| Genus | Lepomis |
| Species | Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819 |
Description
Diagnostic characters
- Ecological class
- Stygoxene
- Realm
- Aquatic
Distribution
Range
Known from eight counties across four states.
Continent
North America
Country
United States
States and provinces
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky
Counties
- Alabama
- DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Morgan
- Arkansas
- Izard
- Illinois
- Monroe
- Kentucky
- Breckinridge
Conservation and management
IUCN Red List
LC Least Concern
Assessed in 2019.
NatureServe
G5 Secure
National ranks
- Canada
- N4 Apparently Secure
- United States
- N5 Secure
Subnational ranks
- Ontario
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Quebec
- SNA Not Applicable
- North Carolina
- SNA Not Applicable
- Wyoming
- SNA Not Applicable
- Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Illinois
- S5 Secure
- Massachusetts
- SNA Not Applicable
- Idaho
- SNA Not Applicable
- South Carolina
- SNA Not Applicable
- Kentucky
- S4 Apparently Secure
- Louisiana
- S5 Secure
- Colorado
- S5 Secure
- Connecticut
- SNA Not Applicable
- South Dakota
- S5 Secure
- Pennsylvania
- S5 Secure
- Oklahoma
- SNR Unranked
- Tennessee
- S5 Secure
- Delaware
- SNA Not Applicable
- Arizona
- SNA Not Applicable
- Texas
- S5 Secure
- Missouri
- SNR Unranked
- California
- SNA Not Applicable
- New Mexico
- SNA Not Applicable
- Montana
- SNA Not Applicable
- New York
- S3 Vulnerable
- Ohio
- S5 Secure
- Nebraska
- S5 Secure
- Iowa
- S5 Secure
- Georgia
- S5 Secure
- Indiana
- S5 Secure
- Navajo Nation
- SNA Not Applicable
- Maine
- SNR Unranked
- Utah
- SNA Not Applicable
- Minnesota
- SNR Unranked
- Nevada
- SNA Not Applicable
- Arkansas
- S4 Apparently Secure
- West Virginia
- S5 Secure
- Michigan
- S5 Secure
- Maryland
- SNA Not Applicable
- Mississippi
- S5 Secure
- Kansas
- S5 Secure
- New Jersey
- SNA Not Applicable
- Alabama
- S5 Secure
- North Dakota
- SNR Unranked
- Washington
- SNA Not Applicable
- Florida
- SNR Unranked
- District of Columbia
- SNA Not Applicable
- Oregon
- SNA Not Applicable
- Wisconsin
- S5 Secure
State and federal status
Not listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act
References
- Armstrong, J.G. & Williams, J.D. 1971. Cave and spring fishes of the southern bend of the Tennessee River. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 46: 107–115.
- McDaniel, V.R. & Gardner, J.E. 1977. Cave fauna of Arkansas: vertebrate taxa. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 31: 68–71. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol31/iss1/22.
- Niemiller, M.L., Anderson, C.L., Maxwell, E.C., Midgette, H., Quering, C., Richards, M., Wilson, K. & Wirwa, N. 2025. A noteworthy range extension of the federally endangered Alabama Cave Shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae) south of the Tennessee River in northern Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 24: N47-N58. doi:10.1656/058.024.0403
- Pearson, W.D. & Boston, C.H., Jr. 1995. Distribution and status of the northern cavefish, Amblyopsis spelaea. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program,, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 99 pp.
- Rheams, K.F., Moser, P.H. & McGregor, S.W. 1992. Geologic, hydrologic, and biologic investigations in Arrowwood, Bobcat, Matthews, and Shelta caves and selected caves, Madison, County, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. 262 pp.
- Rheams, K.F., Moser, P.H. & McGregor, S.W. 1994. Hydrogeologic and biologic factors related to the occurrence of the Alabama cave shrimp (Palaemonias alabamae), Madison County, Alabama. Geological Survey of Alabama Bulletin 161: 1–147.
- Webb, D.W., Taylor, S.J. & Krejca, J.K. 1993. The biological resources of Illinois caves and other subterranean environments. Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA. 143 pp.
How to cite this account
Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque, 1819. Cave Biology Data Portal, account SP-2567. https://cavebiology.org/species/lepomis-cyanellus/ (accessed 7 September 2026).
Data sources and funding are listed in the Acknowledgments.
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