Warmouth

The warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) that is found throughout the eastern United States. Other local names include molly, redeye, goggle-eye, red-eyed bream, and strawberry perch.

==Description== thumb|Adult warmouth from Kickapoo State Park, Illinois thumb|A juvenile specimen of Lepomis gulosus from Kickapoo State Park, east-central Illinois Adult warmouth appear dusky, with a mottled brown, somewhat purplish coloration. The ventral surfaces are yellow, and the breeding male has a bright-orange spot at the base of the dorsal fin. Three to five reddish-brown streaks extend from the eyes, whose irises are reddish, a feature most pronounced in breeding males, with a red dot present on the otherwise black opercular flaps, outlined in yellow. It most commonly has three spines in the anal fin and 6 to 13 spines in the dorsal fin, with small teeth present on the tongue and palatine bones. These fish are typically long, but can grow to over in length, and reach . The warmouth is occasionally confused with the rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) or green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), both of which share its relatively large mouth and heavy body. However, the green sunfish generally has a greenish-blue vermiculate pattern on its cheeks, a black spot near the base of the dorsal and anal fins, fins that are bordered in yellowish-white and no teeth on the tongue. The rock bass has five or six spines in its anal fin as opposed to the three in the warmouth.