What is "lepomis"

Lepomis \Lepomis\ n. A genus of freshwater sunfishes, inclding some of the breams.

Syn: genus Lepomis.

Lepomis is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family, Centrarchidae, in the order Perciformes. Perhaps the most recognizable species of this genus is the bluegill.

Some Lepomis species can grow to a maximum overall length of , though most average around . They are widely distributed throughout the lakes and rivers of the United States and Canada, and several species have been transplanted and flourished around the world, even becoming pests. Trade in some Lepomis species is prohibited in Germany for this reason. Many are sought by anglers as panfish, and large numbers are bred to stock lakes, rivers, and tributaries.

Lepomis species are sometimes referred to as bream, but the term more properly refers to the similar-looking but unrelated European cypriniform fish of genus Abramis.

The generic name Lepomis derives from the Greek λεπίς (scale) and πώμα (cover, plug, operculum).