Fish
Flier
Centrarchus macropterus · also called fliers
Tucked among dense vegetation in a still southeastern swamp, a flier holds position with fins spread wide, its long, rounded shape and dark eyespot giving it a silhouette unlike almost any other sunfish sharing the same quiet water.
Overview
The flier, Centrarchus macropterus, is a distinctively finned panfish native to swamps, ponds, and slow-moving backwaters across the southeastern coastal plain of the United States. Its elongated fins, prominent eyespot, and status as the sole member of its own genus make it one of the more visually and taxonomically distinct small sunfish in North America.
A sunfish standing apart from the crowd
While most sunfish relatives belong to large, closely related genera, the flier occupies a genus entirely its own, a lineage set apart both by its unusual long-finned build and by millions of years of separate evolutionary history.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable vegetated swamp and backwater habitat throughout the southeastern coastal plain.
Flier: common questions
Why is it called the flier?
The flier has notably long, rounded dorsal and anal fins relative to its body size, a feature that gave the species its common name, since the elongated fins evoke the appearance of wings, even though the flier is, like all fish, entirely aquatic and incapable of actual flight.
What is the dark spot on a flier's fin for?
A flier displays a prominent dark eyespot near the rear of its dorsal fin, a marking believed to function similarly to other fish eyespots, potentially confusing predators about the true position of the fish's head, and it also serves as a useful identification feature separating the flier from other similarly sized sunfish.
Is the flier closely related to other sunfish?
The flier is the only species within its own genus, Centrarchus, meaning it stands somewhat apart from the many more closely related species found in larger sunfish genera such as Lepomis, even though it belongs to the same broader sunfish family.
Where does the flier live?
The flier is native to swamps, ponds, and slow-moving backwaters across the southeastern coastal plain of the United States, generally favouring still, heavily vegetated water over faster-flowing streams.