Pumpkinseed

Lepomis gibbosus

A colorful, pumpkin-seed-shaped North American sunfish whose fathers guard the nest.

Checking teacher reviews…

Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the Pumpkinseed

Pumpkinseeds are usually about 4 inches long, sometimes up to 11 inches, and weigh a pound or less. They have orange, green and yellow stripes with darker speckles and orange bellies. They live in warm, calm, clear water in ponds, lakes and creek pools, staying near shore among plants. They eat worms, crayfish, small fish, tadpoles, insects and small mollusks, including many mosquito larvae.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Lepomis gibbosus^[1]
Size: Usually about 4 inches; up to 11 inches.^[1]
Weight: 1 pound or less.^[1]
Lifespan: Usually 5 to 6 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Worms, crayfish, small fish, tadpoles, insects and small mollusks.^[1]
Habitat: Warm, calm, clear ponds, lakes and creek pools.^[1]
Where it lives: North America; invasive in Western Europe.^[1]
Group life: Young school together; adults travel in groups of 2 to 4. Active by day.^[1]
Babies: Thousands of eggs a year, guarded by the male.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2012).^[2]

Fun facts

Pumpkinseeds are also called pond perch and 'punkies.'^[1]
They eat large numbers of mosquito larvae.^[1]
Father pumpkinseeds guard the nest.^[1]

Vocabulary

fish: A cold-blooded animal that lives in water, breathes with gills and usually has fins and scales.
freshwater: Water that is not salty, like most rivers and lakes.
invasive species: A plant or animal living where it doesn't belong that causes harm.
hybrid: The young of two different species or kinds.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · Bird HouseSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Pumpkinseed.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/pumpkinseed (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Lepomis gibbosus (Pumpkinseed).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/202555/18237003 (accessed 2026-10-08)

Facts last checked 2026-10-08.

More Fish

ArapaimaArapaima gigasOne of the world's largest freshwater fish, an air-breathing Amazon giant that sucks in food like a vacuum.Banded LeporinusLeporinus affinisA torpedo-shaped yellow fish with bold black bands from fast Amazon streams that eats plants and fruit.Black PacuColossoma macropomumA big, gentle, fruit-eating Amazon fish related to piranhas, also called the tambaqui.Electric EelElectrophorus electricusA long South American fish, more closely related to catfish than eels, that can make up to 800 volts of electricity.Flagtail CharacinSemaprochilodus theraponuraA silvery Amazon fish with boldly striped black-and-orange tail fins that migrates upriver to spawn.KoiCyprinus carpio (domesticated)Colorful pond fish bred in Japan from common carp, with over 100 varieties of reds, whites, blacks and golds.Mexican Blind CavefishAstyanax mexicanusA small pale fish with no working eyes that lives in dark Mexican caves and finds its way by feeling vibrations.MummichogFundulus heteroclitusA tough little killifish of Atlantic marshes that handles pollution and salt changes, and was the first fish in space.Red-bellied PiranhaPygocentrus nattereriAn Amazon fish with a red belly and sharp teeth that often nips fins from bigger fish and helps clean up rivers.Suckermouth CatfishAncistrus cirrhosus and Baryancistrus xanthellusA bony-plated South American catfish, also called a plecostomus or 'janitor fish,' that scrapes algae with its sucker mouth.Twig CatfishFarlowella speciesA long, thin South American catfish that looks like a stick and is one of the only fish known to eat wood.