Teleostei (teleosts) >
Centrarchiformes (Basses) >
Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)
Etymology: Pomoxis: Greek, poma, -atos = cover, operculum + Greek, oxys = sharp (Ref. 45335); nigromaculatus: nigromaculatus meaning black spotted (Ref. 1998).
More on author: Lesueur.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; depth range 0 - ? m (Ref. 1998). Subtropical; 14°C - 31°C (Ref. 12741); 50°N - 25°N, 100°W - 73°W (Ref. 120640)
North America: The native range is difficult to determine due to its widespread introduction throughout the USA but it is presumably Atlantic Slope from Virginia to Florida, Gulf Slope west to Texas in the USA, St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to Manitoba in Canada south to the Gulf in the USA.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 49.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 27.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 2.7 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 15 years (Ref. 46974)
Inhabits lakes, ponds, sloughs, and backwaters and pools of streams (Ref. 1998, 10294). Usually occurs among vegetation over mud or sand, most common in clear water (Ref. 86798). Forms schools (Ref. 1998). Feeds early in the morning, from midnight to 2 am (Ref. 1998). Individuals up to 16 cm feed on planktonic crustaceans and free-swimming, nocturnal, and dipterous larvae; larger individuals feed on small fishes (Ref. 1998, 10294). May be preyed upon by other fishes (Ref. 1998).
Nests are built by males, by clearing an area on the sand, mud or gravel bottom. Females probably spawn with different males in more than one nest (Ref. 1998). Males guard the eggs for about 5 days (Ref. 93240).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01072 (0.00891 - 0.01288), b=3.06 (3.01 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.62 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 5.8 (2.0 - 9.9) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 11
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.11-0.45; tmax=13; Fec=26,700).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (53 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 44.5 [23.0, 99.2] mg/100g; Iron = 0.92 [0.54, 1.63] mg/100g; Protein = 18.3 [16.2, 20.7] %; Omega3 = 0.408 [0.167, 1.061] g/100g; Selenium = 25.4 [9.7, 64.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 22.1 [6.4, 68.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.907 [0.596, 1.396] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.
