The copper-nosed bluegill also goes by the names bream, brim, or simply bluegill. It is a freshwater fish that is part of the sunfish family. Their scientific names mean “scaly gill cover” and “big hand”, which refers to the shape of their body, somewhat like the shape of a hand when the fingers are held flat together. It is called a bluegill because it has a bright blue color on its gills.
It lives in states east of the Rocky Mountains, as far south as Florida and as far north as Minnesota. Just as alien species introduced into US waters can become invasive species, bluegill introduced from other parts of the world have become invasive as far away as Germany and Japan.
Bluegills, or copper bluegills, range in size from four to 12 inches. Its maximum size is slightly over 16 inches. The largest bluegill ever caught weighed in at 4 pounds, 12 ounces. Identification markings include a dark spot at the base of its dorsal fin and at the edge of its gills. It may also have 5-9 vertical bars on the sides, but they may not be distinguishable. The abdomen and breast are yellowish, although in breeding males it may be bright orange.
Coppernosed Bluegills prefer shallow water in lakes and ponds, and also the slow-moving waters of small rivers and streams. They forage for food in the weedy beds of aquatic plants. They also spawn in these areas. In the summer, full-grown adults move to deeper open water where they feed on aquatic foods just below the surface. They prefer water that is 60 to 80 degrees F. They like heat, but not direct sunlight. As the day warms up they will go into deeper water. They are usually found swimming in schools of ten to twenty fish.
Young fish eat water fleas. Adults eat insect larvae, crayfish, snails, leeches, and small fish. They will also go after night crawlers on fishermen’s hooks. They sometimes eat aquatic vegetation, even funneling their own eggs or hatchlings if food is scarce. Insects and dead flies are also part of their diet. While they can eat at any time of the day, they peak in the morning and especially in the evening hours. In order to capture their food, they suck up a small amount of water that the prey contains, which means that they must get closer to the prey to capture it.
Bluegill, or coppernosed bluegill, become food for larger fish species such as bass, catfish, yellow perch, northern pike, and also turtles. They are fast and can change direction quickly. They are flat and thin and this provides less resistance to water and allows them to move quickly. All this helps them escape from predators. Although they have receptors that allow them to recognize changes in vibration and pressure, they rely on their eyesight, especially for feeding.
When spawning, male bluegills make the spawning bed by digging a spot in sand or gravel. The female’s eggs are fertilized externally and it is the male who watches over the nest. He continues to watch the nest until the larvae hatch and are able to swim away on their own.
Bluegill or bluegill are caught with a variety of baits, such as worms, grasshoppers, flies, crickets, small frogs, bread or pieces of corn or American cheese. Once caught, they usually end up pan-fried, hence the name “pan fish”.
