The natural history of the northwoods . Highly tolerant of a variety of stresses, and able to utilize most habitat types Tolerates a wide range of ecological conditions such as dissolved oxygen, turbidity, flow, and temperature.
Males construct nests in shallow waters over variable substrates.
Several females spawn in a community nest with one male. Eggs are depostied and attach to the substrate, where they are rigorously guarded by the male for about a week, when the fry become free swimming. The fry mature within two seasons. Hybridizes readily with other members of the genus Lepomis Opportunistic reproducer, usually among the first to repopulate intermittent streams.