Head to head
Bluespotted Sunfish vs Banded Sunfish
A bluespotted sunfish and a banded sunfish belong to the same small genus of blackwater-loving sunfish, sharing the same acidic, tannin-stained habitat that many other sunfish avoid, but displaying two distinctly different colour patterns.
| Bluespotted Sunfish | Banded Sunfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Enneacanthus gloriosus | Enneacanthus obesus |
| Body pattern | Fine iridescent blue spots | Soft, diffuse vertical bars |
| Habitat | Acidic tannin-stained blackwater | Acidic tannin-stained blackwater |
| Genus | Enneacanthus | Enneacanthus |
| Size | Small, a few inches | Small, a few inches |
| Vegetation dependence | Strong, uses cover heavily | Strong, uses cover heavily |
| Range | Coastal plain, eastern US | Atlantic coastal plain |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Bluespotted Sunfish vs Banded Sunfish: common questions
How can you tell a bluespotted sunfish from a banded sunfish?
Pattern is the clearest giveaway: the bluespotted sunfish is covered in numerous fine, iridescent blue spots scattered across a dark body, while the banded sunfish instead shows vertical bars along its sides, a softer and more diffuse pattern than the bold bars of their shared relative, the blackbanded sunfish.
Do the bluespotted sunfish and banded sunfish live in the same water?
Yes, both species are closely tied to the same kind of acidic, tannin-stained blackwater swamps and slow streams of the eastern coastal plain, conditions that many other sunfish species find inhospitable but that both members of this small genus tolerate well.
Are the bluespotted sunfish and banded sunfish closely related?
Yes, both belong to the same small genus, Enneacanthus, along with the blackbanded sunfish, sharing a similar small body size, dependence on dense aquatic vegetation for cover, and general blackwater habitat preference despite their differing colour patterns.