The ocean area is greater than the land area. This makes the ocean become a place that is hard to discover due to its size and depth.
Even if so, there are so many species of animals and plants that is living beneath the ocean. And it creates a wider range of diversity that is so beautiful to be seen and studied.
And because it is so diverse we are somehow cannot memorize all the species and only know some of them that is close to us. Maybe all of you ever heard about sunfish, but maybe there are some of you that have not known about this species of fish.
So today, to let you know more about the ocean animals I would like to share you with some types of ocean sunfish.
See also:
- Importance of Coral Reefs to the Fishing Industry
- Importance of Marine Fisheries Management
- Importance of Ocean Currents For Fishing
1. Lepomis gulosis (Warmouth)
The first type of ocean sunfish we have is warmouth. Warmouth is a type of sunfish that is still into the sunfish family that is classified as freshwater fish.
It has another name that is known by the people such as warmouth bass and warmouth sunfish.
Most of this type of sunfish can be found throughout the eastern part of United States.
2. Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill)
Next up, we have bluegill. And just like warmouth, bluegill is also classified as a freshwater fish that is still become a member of sunfish family.
Since it is a freshwater fish, you may find it in the river, streams, and ponds.
Somehow, even though you may find this species of sunfish in ASIA, but actually this species of fish is native to United States area.
See also: Types of Small Ocean Fish
3. Lepomis megalotis (Longear sunfish)
Longear sunfish is a type of sunfish that is living in the freshwater area. It is also native to the North America area where you can find this species of fish from the Great Lake until Mexico.
You may find this species of sunfish easy since it love to be in the shallow water area that has a slow water movement. Besides that, it also feeds on insects which keeps it near to the water surface to make it easier to catch its prey.
This type of sunfish has a colorful body. There is one fun fact on why this type of sunfish has the name of longear sunfish. It is because it has an elongated opercular flap that look like an ear.
4. Lepomis microlophus (Redear sunfish)
Just like longeear sunfish, redear sunfish also has an elongated opercular flap that look like an ear. The difference is, this type of sunfish is known based on its diet habit which is mollusks and snail.
Talking about its size, compared to the bluegill sunfish, this type of sunfish is larger. And again, you may find it in the North America areas.
5. Lepomis miniatus (Redspotted sunfish)
Another type of sunfish that is living in the freshwater is known as redspotted sunfish. Even though this type of sunfish is classified as a freshwater sunfish but this does not mean that the population is large.
And sadly, the number of redspotted sunfish is declining due to the dranaige of swamps and general deterioration of water quality.
See also: Red Sea Fish Species
6. Micropterus treculii (Guadalupe bass)
Aside from redspotted sunfish, this type of sunfish called as guadalupe bass is also classified as a type of sunfish that has a declining number in population.
But, what makes it unique is that the population number is declining not because of predation or habitat destruction. It is caused by the hybridization with smallmouth bass.
7. Micropterus warriorensis (Redeye bass)
This type of sunfish is called redeyes because it has a red eyes. And as a freshwater sunfish, this type of sunfish can reach is length up to 47 cm which is quite long for freshwater fish size.
You may find this type of freshwater sunfish in the Alabama. In the river of Coosa that has a cold water temperature.
See also: Endangered Species in Pacific Ocean
8. Micropterus dolomieu (Smallmouth bass)
Due to its body color, this type of freshwater sunfish has another name that is known by the people such as smallmouth, bronzeback, brown bass, brownie, smallie, bronze bass, and bareback bass.
But even though mostly the smallmouth bass has a brown color but there are also some of them that have a yellow to green body color.
9. Lepomis punctatus (Spotted Sunfish)
Spotted sunfish is native to Southeastern of America where tit lives in the warm water.
In its habitat, this type of sunfish like to live in the slow water movement area.
This type of sunfish is also classified as insectivore where it feeds on insects in the water surface aside from benthic organism.
See also: Importance of Protists in the Ocean
10. Mola ramsayi (Southern Ocean Sunfish)
This type of sunfish is also known as short sunfish and bump head sunfish. But,its famous name is known as mola – mola.
The existence of this type of sunfish may be found through out the world’s ocean.
You may also find this mola – mola near the ocean water surface if it wants to get warmer after diving in a cold water to look for their prey.
11. Ranzania laevis (Slender Sunfish)
Just like mola – mola, slender sunfish can also be found through out the world’s ocean. But the difference is, it only lives in the tropical and temperate seas.
And because of its shape, this type of sunfish somehow create an optical illusion beneath the ocean which makes another ocean animal thinks that it is a shark.
See also: Importance of Sharks in The Marine Ecosystem – Facts of Sharks
12. Lepomis marginatus (Dollar Sunfish)
Comparing to another type of sunfish, I think this type of sunfish has the smallest size.
Not only the size, but it also has a small mouth which make this type of sunfish not capable to eat smaller fishes. Because of that, its diet is consisting a small crustaceans and also midge larvae.
13. Lepomis cyanellus (Green Sunfish)
Green sunfish is also being caught to be kept in the aquarium by the hobbyist. And yes it is called as green sunfish due to its back that has a blueand greenish color.
There is one fun fact about this type of sunfish. Green sunfish is known as the only animal that has the ability of polarization sensitive vision where even human does not have it.
14. Mola tecta (Hoodwinker Sunfish)
Actually, hoodwinker sunfish is a new type of sunfish that has been discovered recently.
It is known as one of the type of ocean sunfish that has a long life span which can reach about 130 years.
Not only having a longer life span compared to another type of ocean sunfish, but this type of ocean sunfish also has a larger body compared to another sunfish, or even the largest.
Unlike any other sunfish, this hoodwinker sunfish has no lumps, bumps, and snout.
See also: Biggest Fish in Amazon
15. Masturus lanceolatus (Sharptail mola)
Just like mola – mola, this type of ocean sunfish can also be found through out the world’s ocean in the tropical and temperate water only. What makes it different from mola – mola is that you can recognize this type of sunfish based on its clavus (pseudo-tail).
And just like most of the sunfish, sharptail mola also loves to dive whether it is to find food or to avoid their predators.
Sharptail mola also known because of its other name such as sharpfin sunfish, point-tailed sunfish, and trunkfish. Sharptail mola has a genus of Masturus, and what is interesting is that it has become the only species from its genus.
So those are some types of ocean sunfish that is still classified as a sunfish family that I can share you with. Thank you for keep following our website which means you are aware about the deep ocean ecosystems.
Hopefully all articles that we provide in this website can, not only increasing your awareness towards the ecosystem and environment surround you but also add some knowledge.