Mud sunfish

Mud Sunfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Acantharchus
T. N. Gill, 1864
Species: A. pomotis
Binomial name
Acantharchus pomotis
(S. F. Baird, 1855)

The mud sunfish (Acantharchus pomotis) is a sunfish (family Centrarchidae) widely distributed in the fresh waters along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from New York to Florida.

The mud sunfish prefers sluggish, weedy waters of 10–22 °C (50–72 °F), over muddy, detritus-strewn bottoms, and occurs in small lakes as well as riverine backwaters. The maximum recorded size of this species is 21 cm (8.3 in).

A. pomotis is currently the only species of genus Acantharchus but Baird had originally assigned it to Centrarchus. The generic name, Acantharchus, derives from the Greek άκανθα (thorn) and άρχος (ruler). A. pomotis is sometimes also known as the mud bass.

References

Further reading

Pardue, Garland (May 1993). "Life History and Ecology of the Mud Sunfish (Acantharchus pomotis)". Copeia 1993 (2): 533–540. doi:10.2307/1447156. 

Snodgrass, JW; Bryan, AL; Lide, RF; Smith, GM (February 1996). "Factors affecting the occurrence and structure of fish assemblages in isolated wetlands of the upper coastal plain, USA". CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES 53 (2): 443–454. doi:10.1139/cjfas-53-2-443. 

Cashner, Robert C.; Burr, Brooks M.; Rogers, James S. (February 27, 1989). "Geographic Variation of the Mud Sunfish, Acantharchus pomotis (Family Centrarchidae)". Copeia 1989 (1): 129–141. doi:10.2307/1445614. 

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