FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Blackbanded sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon) or black banded sunfish are inhabitants of North American freshwater bodies. They inhabit slow-flowing rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. They roam around the sand bed in search of their prey. Black-banded sunfish are carnivorous fish that feed on insect larvae, aquatic insects, zooplankton, and worms. When in tanks, they cause no tantrums and eat both frozen and fresh food. Black-banded sunfish are small silver-colored fish that have yellow spots on their body. They have magnificent fins. Both the dorsal and ventral fins have a ray structure and are big in size. In short, they are magnificent creatures in nature.
This was just the introduction. Ahead in the article, we have prepared some interesting and funny facts about this fish which will amaze you.
For more similar content, read our koi facts and rockfish facts for kids.
The blackbanded sunfish is a small sunfish. They are inhabitants of North America and can also live in an aquarium.
Blackbanded sunfish belong to the class Actinopterygii of ray-finned fishes. They are freshwater inhabitant fishes in the order Perciformes, family Centrarchidae, and genus Enneacanthus. Their scientific name is Enneacanthus chaetodon.
Blackbanded sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon) inhabit the freshwater bodies of North America. They are a Near Threatened species according to the IUCN Red List but inhabit their home in good numbers. Their exact population count is not known.
This banded sunfish species lives in the freshwater bodies of the North American continent. They live in water bodies with less flow velocity like slow-flowing rivers, vegetated lakes, ponds, and streams. They are a small fish species that can be kept in an aquarium as well.
Banded sunfish are inhabitants of North American freshwater bodies like the redbreast sunfish. Their habitat range lies from New Jersey to central Florida. In recent times, it is seen that they also inhabit water bodies in the Delaware Valley.
The blackbanded sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon) species is found from New Jersey to Florida. They are small and an extremely social fish species that love to stay in groups. These sunfish (blackbanded) together roam around their habitat in search of food.
The blackbanded sunfish species can live both in the wild and in captivity. In the wild and in captivity, they show a small lifespan range. This sunfish species lives up to three or four years.
Like all fish species, blackbanded sunfish also reproduce by laying eggs. When the water temperature is perfect and all requirements are met, spawning will start. During spawning or breeding, the males find a place between plants and make it their spawning area. After that, they attract females for breeding. After breeding, females lay all the fertilized eggs near the plants. In the case of this sunfish species, after laying the eggs males drive the females out of the territory. Males look after their kids and supply them with food. The eggs go through an incubation period of a week or so and then all the fry emerge. In an aquarium, it is better to remove the parents after the eggs are laid.
According to the IUCN Red List, blackbanded sunfish fall under the conservation category of Near Threatened species. Their population is comparatively less in many places.
The blackbanded sunfish species are small fish that live in freshwater bodies ranging from New Jersey to Florida. They are small, laterally compressed fish with a deep body. They have a rounded face with a small mouth portion. Their lower jaw is big and extended upwards. They have big fins. The dorsal fin is situated at the mid of their back and its size is good. They have amazing pectoral and pelvic fins, the pelvic fin being bigger in size. Their caudal fin or tail is somewhat rounded. The color of their body is silver with yellow-orange spots on it like spotted sunfish. They have some black vertical lines on their body that look like bands. This is the characteristic feature that gives them their name 'blackbanded sunfish'. There are several vertical lines on their body. Their body length is around 2-3.1 in (5-8 cm) with a negligible amount of body weight.
They are one of the cutest fish species. These adorable little fishes live along the sand bottoms of rivers and lakes, searching for food.
Blackbanded sunfish are a species of fish and fish can't communicate by making sound. Fish species communicate through body language and by the release of chemicals like pheromones. They also have a vertical line segment organ for reading minute vibration in water.
Blackbanded sunfish are a very small sunfish species that inhabit freshwater rivers and lakes from New Jersey to Florida. They have an average body length of around 2-3.1 in (5-8 cm) and their body weight is negligible. Their body length is similar to blue-spotted sunfish.
There is no exact record of how fast they can swim but it is likely that they are a very agile fish species.
Blackbanded sunfish have a small body but big fins. All of their fins including tail are magnificent looking. Their average body length is around 2-3.1 in (5-8 cm) and their body weight is somewhat negligible.
There is no specific names assigned to the males and females of this species. They are commonly known as blackbanded sunfish. However, they show sexual dimorphism. Males are bigger than the females and show brighter colors on their body. Males have larger fins too.
Like all other fish babies, baby blackbanded sunfish are also known as fry or young ones. After the eggs are laid, their mothers are driven away and their fathers take care of them. After about a week, they hatch from the eggs and can be seen swimming around.
Blackbanded sunfish enjoy a carnivorous diet. Their diet includes crustaceans, aquatic insects, zooplankton, insect larvae, and bacteria. They live in slow-flowing water bodies from New Jersey to Florida and can be found near the sand bed. There they search for their food.
There are too small to prove danger for humans. They are small carnivorous fishes who live in groups. They can be aggressive at times when protecting their breeding area.
Yes, they would make a wonderful pet. They are also kept in aquariums, however the owner needs to be a bit careful.
The popular ocean sunfish has no tail and has unusual skeletal structure.
No at this moment. Blackbanded sunfish are a Near Threatened species in the conservation status list. Their numbers are decreasing because of habitat loss and the usage of chemicals in water.
Blackbanded sunfish inhabit cold water. The temperature of the water should be maintained and it needs to be slightly acidic. They are no trouble to feed as they readily accept frozen bloodworm, black mosquito larvae, Daphnia, and brine shrimp. Keeping and taking care of them is easy as they cause very few problems.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Tang fish facts and spotted trunkfish facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable sunfish coloring pages.
Main image by Tino Strauss
Second image by Tino Strauss
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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