Life History
The Redbreast Sunfish is a fall spawner in sand-gravel substrate depending on location, or when water temperature reaches 16-26 degrees Celsius. According to Stanley Sharp, “The mature male generally builds a nest in shallow water or may simply use the abandoned nest of another Centrarchid. The female eventually enters the nest, releases her adhesive eggs, and then leaves. The male remains to guard and fan the eggs and possibly even to guard the young for a brief period. The male and female will then move out of the shallow water after spawning and into deeper water. A male sunfish will breed with more than one female, just as female sunfish will breed with more than on male. Average clutch size for the sunfish is around 2000 depending on the age of the female. Mature ova are around 1.1 mm in diameter. Reproductive maturity is reached the second year of life. Lepomis Auritus have been known to have a max lifespan of around seven years for primarily males. Currently humans do not play a large role in influencing life history due to large populations and secluded areas.
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