no photo — written note
Animals
Deep blue-black gill flap, small mouth and a dark blotch on the rear dorsal.
Field facts
HabitatPonds, lakes, slow streams
RangeStatewide
When to lookBeds visible May to July
StatusSecure (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesPumpkinseed, Green Sunfish
Field note: Their circular spawning beds pockmark shallow bays like moon craters.
Lesson
Watching responsibly
The classic first fish; use barbless hooks with children for easy release.
Your records
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