A large Warmouth captured during a DWR fish community survey.
A Warmouth in an observation tank. ©DCR Healthy Waters Program / VCU INSTAR
Fact File
Scientific Name: Lepomis gulosus
Classification: Fish, Order Perciformes, Family Centrarchidae
Size: Warmouth can reach about 10 inches in length in Virginia; a quality specimen typically reaches 6-8"
Life Span: Up to 8 years
Identifying Characteristics
Warmouth on a measuring board. ©Photo by Scott Herrmann
- A large-mouthed, robust fish with mottled sides and stripes on the gill plate
- More elongated than many other species of sunfish
- Spotting on body bleeds into the base of fins
- Dark opercular flap on the gill plate, with a small off-color margin that is often white and red
- Dark in color, alternating between tans and browns
- Spines on dorsal and anal fin
- Spawning individuals often have a peppering of green spots along their sides
Diet
Warmouth feed upon aquatic and terrestrial insects, snails, crayfish and small fishes.
Distribution:
Warmouth in Virginia are native to many streams east of the Blue Ridge. They are an introduced species to the Big Sandy watershed in southwest Virginia.
Habitat
Backwaters such as these are premier habitats for coastal plain fishes such as the Warmouth.
Warmouth thrive in backwaters of slow-moving rivers, small lakes and ponds, and can inhabit especially acidic, swampy waters throughout Virginia’s low elevation coastal plain. Warmouth are often solitary, preferring to isolate in thick submerged vegetative cover near hard structure or undercut banks.
Reproduction
Warmouth spawn in the summer in Virginia, often more than once. Warmouth spawn near cover, and unlike other species of sunfish, they prefer areas with rubble and detritus atop silty substrates. The male and female lay sideways on the nesting site during the egg fertilization process. Males guard the nesting site and newly hatched fish.
A dark-colored Warmouth collected during an electrofishing survey.
Last updated: April 30, 2024
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