Pumpkinseed

The pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) is a North American freshwater sunfish distinguished by an orange belly and blue-green markings.

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Centrarchidae: A family of freshwater fishes native to North America, including sunfishes and black basses. Pumpkinseeds belong to this family of predominantly North American freshwater fishes.
Molluscivory: A feeding strategy in which animals eat mollusks such as snails and mussels. Pumpkinseeds use specialized teeth to crush snails and other hard-shelled prey.
Recreational fishing: Fishing undertaken for leisure rather than primarily for commercial sale. Pumpkinseeds are commonly caught by anglers, especially in small lakes and ponds.
Bluegill: A North American freshwater sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, with a dark spot at the rear of its dorsal fin. Bluegills share habitat and genus with pumpkinseeds and are often compared with them.
North America: A continent extending from the Arctic region to Central America. The pumpkinseed is native to eastern and central parts of this continent.
Lepomis: A genus of North American freshwater sunfishes in the family Centrarchidae. Pumpkinseed is one species within this sunfish genus.
Pharyngeal teeth: Teeth in a fish’s throat that help grip or crush food. These teeth help pumpkinseeds process shelled prey after it enters the mouth.
Bait fishing: Angling that uses natural or prepared bait to attract fish. Small baits readily catch pumpkinseeds, making them familiar to novice anglers.
Green sunfish: A North American sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus, with a large mouth and dark ear flap. This related Lepomis species can resemble pumpkinseeds but has a larger mouth.
Great Lakes: A group of five interconnected freshwater lakes on the Canada–United States border. The Great Lakes region lies within the species’ native range.