Little Rays of Sunshine: Keeping Enneacanthus Sunfish
Looking for a native sunfish for your tank but not looking for a massive brute? While it’s true most centrarchids can possibly exceed 6 or 8 inches and are usually aggressive, the Enneacanthus sunfish are quite desirable for easy-going communities. True, they are not as colorful as the Lepomis species, but they are definitely worth considering.
Species
There are a total of 3 known species of Enneacanthus:
- Enneacanthus chaetodon (Black-banded Sunfish)
- Enneacanthus gloriosus (Blue-spotted Sunfish) [pictured]
- Enneacanthus obesus (Banded Sunfish)
All three species are found in the aquarium trade, but their availability seems to be a bit hit-or-miss in the United States. Oddly enough, these species are more popular in Europe and seem to be easier to find for sale there than in their homeland.
Conservation Status
The Blue-spotted Sunfish and Banded Sunfish are both classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, while the Black-banded Sunfish is classified as Near Threatened. Those specimens found in the aquarium trade are tank-bred, however.
Description
Smaller than their Lepomis cousins (and downright tiny compared to the Micropterus Black Basses), the Enneachanthus sunfishes max out at around 3 inches, with 2.5 inches being a fairly typical adult length.
Timid fish, Enneacanthus sunfish are best kept in heavily planted tanks with plenty of hiding places (driftwood and rockwork being good additions). They seem to find open, bright areas stressful and stay in the shadier parts of the tank. Darker substrates also are beneficial at keeping them happy and colorful. I have found that some specimens do eventually get used to the tank and owner and eventually become more outgoing, but this takes time and lots of feedings.
For tankmates, focus on low energy, peaceful fish. Madtoms, Mudminnows, and some species of Topminnows are good choices here as they all seem to prefer the same water quality and dimly lit tanks. It’s probably better to avoid Livebearers (need harder water), Pupfish (too aggressive), and active minnows such as Chrosomus Mountain Minnows.
Take care when netting these fish, as they do seem to be prone to fungal infections when handled roughly. Use fine, smooth nets (plastic bags/cups are even better) when needing to capture them.
Feeding
Somewhat picky, Enneacanthus sunfishes are unlikely to accept anything but live or frozen foods such as brine or mysis shrimp. The Banded Sunfish reportedly has a better chance than the other two species for eventually coming to accept flake and pelleted foods (but there’s no guarantee any individual fish which make the switch) and I have had success weaning Bluespotted Sunfish onto pelleted food after a few weeks of feeding frozen fare - but even then they only really accepted it begrudgingly.
Water Quality
Sources report that Enneacanthus sunfishes hail from mostly acidic locations and as such are probably happiest with a pH around 6-7 and dH 5-10. That said, Fishbase shows these fishes as being found in neutral to moderately basic water up to pH 7.5. Like the other centrarchids, Enneacanthus sunfish are fairly hardy and so are probably happy as long as extremes in water quality are avoided. No heater is needed in their tank; keep the water about 60-68 F.
Enneacanthus sunfishes seem to be somewhat sensitive to poor water quality and should be kept in well maintained tanks with regular large water changes.
Brackish Suitability
At least one report suggested that Bluespotted and Banded Sunfishes are able to tolerate brackish waters in the wild. I could not find specifics of salinity tolerance, but given that these fish frequent acidic habitats, it’s unlikely they can survive in brackish water full time (and certainly not much above 1.003). Keep this genus in freshwater.
Tank Size
A pair or trio (1 male, 2 females) is likely fine in a 29 gallon, planted heavily so fish can break line of sight from the other fish if needed. If keeping with tankmates, a 40 gallon is a better starting point.
Breeding
Breeding Enneacanthus sunfish is fairly easy, provided they are kept in acidic water. Breeding trigger is the onset of spring, so increasing the duration of light, turning up the temperature over a period of a few days to a week, and providing ample live foods like blackworms should do the job. The females produce a surprisingly large number of eggs; Banded Sunfish are apparently able to lay more than 500 in a spawn. They use fine leaved plants like Hornwort as breeding sites.
Note that Enneacanthus sunfish are able to hybridize. Because of this, only one species should be kept in a given tank.
Final Thoughts
Need a smaller ‘personality fish’ for your native biotope? Enneacanthus sunfishes aren’t the easiest of community fish insofar that they are somewhat picky about water quality, foods, and tankmates, but they are neat fish which are fairly agreeable and attractive. What’s not to like?
Sources
North American Fishes for the Home Aquarium, David M. Schlesser
Our Native Fishes, John R. Quinn
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation, Virginia Department of Transportation
Breeding Sunfish, Robert Bock
(Image Source: me!)
