For information on the red shiner, Cyprinella lutrensis , go to the red shiner page . Sunfish Sunfish or bream can be added to larger ponds but can grow to a foot or so, depending on the species. They are fat bodied so a foot is pretty big. They also will eat smaller fish in the pond but feed mostly on insects and crustaceans. They may harass fish smaller than themselves who are too large to eat.
Males dig gravel pits and defend their nests aggressively during breeding season.
The males also darken-up and gain more coloration during breeding. The University of North Carolina Press, 1994. This book lists a ton of fish native to my area in Maryland. North American Native Fishes for the Home Aquarium by David. M. Schleser, Barron's, 1998.