Bluegill

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is native to a wide area of North America, from Qubec to northern Mexico, and has been widely transplanted to stock game fish for anglers. It is commonly fished in Arkansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and Louisiana, and is the state fish of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is renowned as an excellent tasting fish. They are relatively common and easy to catch. Of tropical sunfish body shape, the bluegill's most notable feature is the blue or black "ear," actually an extension of the gill cover called the opercular flap. Its name, however, comes from the bright blue edging visible on its gill rakers. It can be distinguished from similar species by the (not always pronounced) vertical bars along its flanks.