Pumpkinseed Sunfish

The 45-cent multicolored Pumpkinseed Sunfish stamp (Scott #2481) was issued on December 2, 1992, at the National Aquarium in Washington DC. It is part of the Flora and Fauna Series and was distributed in panes of one hundred (ten down and ten across). The artwork was made by Michael Matherly who also created the 1-cent American Kestrel and the 3-cent Bluebird stamps.

When I saw this stamp, I thought this was such a beautiful-looking stamp. The colors in it immediately caught my eye and I’m not a big fish lover. Not only did the colors interest me, but the name even intrigued me and I had to learn more about this fish.

The Pumpkinseed fish is a freshwater fish native to northeastern North America. It can be found from New Brunswick to South Carolina. They read a maximum length of sixteen inches but are usually found six to eight inches and they weigh less than a pound. Its name reflects its shape which resembles a pumpkinseed. The orange, green, yellow, or blue speckles can be on its olive back and sides while its belly and breast can be yellow to orange. It has sharp spines so you have to be careful when handling it.

Pumpkinseed sunfish live in warm, calm lakes, ponds, and pools of creeks and small rivers. They like lots of vegetation for hiding and stay near shallow and protected areas. They feed at all levels from the surface to the bottom in daylight but mainly eat in the afternoon. They like to travel in schools that might include bluegills and other sunfish. At night, they rest near the bottom of the water or in protected areas in rocks or near logs.

Pumpkinseed Sunfish eat insects, mosquito larvae, small mollusks, snails, other crustaceans, smaller pumpkinseed sunfish, minnows, and worms. Their predators can include largemouth bass and pike perch, cormorants and herons, and fishermen.

I’ve never seen one in the wild but you can bet that I’ll be looking for one now.