The bluegill sunfish, pictured immediately below, is the most popular species in the sunfish genus, Lepomis. Though also the largest of the Minnesota species in this genus, only about 2% of the bluegills in our state exceed 8 inches in length. According to the Minnesota DNR (2000), this species is present in about 65 percent of the state's lakes.
The three other species pictured below, also from the genus Lepomis, are (from left to right) the longear, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish. All are found in Minnesota, and all are popular panfish.
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Photos courtesy of Jay T. Hatch, James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History
Background courtesy of Frassed Zone