Sunfish is one of the most colorful fish out there in the whole world. They are in the family of Centrarchidae and have many species, which are both big and small.
In this article, we will mention the smallest sunfish species and their water parameters.
Related: Can Sunfish live with Koi?
The smallest sunfish species are:
- Orangespotted sunfish
- bantam sunfish
- Florida pygmy sunfish
- Bluespotted
- blackbanded
- pumpkinseed
- longears
7 Smallest Sunfish and Their Water Parameters
Orangespotted Sunfish
This is one of the smallest species of sunfish.
This specie of sunfish has a lifespan of 4-7years and average the size of 1.5-6 inches.
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They are called orange sunfish because they have a bright color with orange sporting all over their body.
Also their fins and tails are always red.
They are opportunist feeders.
They thrive in water temperatures of 64-75°F.
They can be able to survive on low oxygen.
They are easily recognized by their large mouth and could crush any crustacean.
Bantam Sunfish
Bantam Sunfish is one of the smallest species of Sunfish.
They are found in North America and could grow up to 3.5 inches.
This specie of sunfish thrives in a temperature between 15-19°F.
Related: Do sunfish change colour?
They feed on frozen bloodworms, frozen brine Shrimp, Earthworms etc.
Florida Pygmy Sunfish
This specie of sunfish, as its name goes could only grow up to 1-1.5 inches.
Their ideal water temperature is 50-72°F.
Also, their ideal pH is 6.0-7.0 and they prefer soft and slightly acidic water.
They are naturally peaceful and also need dim light and many plants.
Bluespotted
This specie of sunfish could only reach up to 3.7 inches in size, making they are one of the smallest species of sunfish.
They also have spines in their dorsal and anal fins.
Their ideal water temperature is 31°C.
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They live in slightly acidic waters with high conductivity and low turbidity.
Blackbanded
Black banded sunfish could grow up to 2 inches in size, making it one of the smallest sunfish in North America.
Their ideal water temperature is 39-72°F.
Also, their ideal pH is 6.5-7.5 and they need soft but cold and acidic temperatures.
Their ideal lifespan is 3-4 years.
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish could grow up to 6-10 inches and has deep body with several spines in the dorsal fin.
Their water pH is 7.0-7.5 and with a hardiness of 10-15dh.
They are carnivores and will prey on smaller fish and animals.
Longears
They are freshwater sunfish and could reach a size of 9.5 inches.
They are very colorful with bright orange bellies, blue-green bars on the sides of their heads, and olive and rusty brown backs.
Their life span is 5-6 years.
How Big Does Sunfish Get?
The Mola sunfish is the heaviest of all the bony fish and could get to a size of 14 feet.
They weigh 5,000 pounds, making them one of the heaviest and biggest fish.
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They are brackish water type, and only dwell in the oceans and seas.
Conclusion
The above are the smallest species of Sunfish.
Any other species that’s bigger than they could not be classified as one of the smallest sunfish species.
