General Description: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) are short, deep-bodied perch with a dark blue or black "ear" on the gill cover. The name comes from blue edging on the gill rakers. Bluegill usually have, sometimes faint, vertical bars on the sides. During breeding season, males get orange on the chest. Blue gills usually get to about 4 inches, but really big ones grow to 16 inches.

Taxonomy: Family: Sunfish (Centrarchidae).

Diet: These predatory fish eat aquatic insects and small fish.

Favored Habitat: Slow-moving water, lakes, and ponds.

Where to Find: Bluegill are native to eastern and central North America, but they have been widely planted elsewhere as sport fish. Around Las Vegas, look for this species in Lake Mead and the Colorado River.

Comments: Bluegill were planted all over the world and are an important sport fish in Nevada.