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Banded Sunfish

Enneacanthus obesus

Banded sunfish occurs in ponds, bogs and medium-sized streams with dense aquatic vegetation in the southeastern corner of the state. On Long Island the range of banded sunfish is about half of what it was in 1938, but it remains common in about 30 ponds. Some of these ponds are considered vulnerable to dewatering for residential and urban development. In the other watershed to the west, flowing into Newark Bay, it appears extirpated from the one confirmed pond and two unconfirmed areas. The species is classified as Threatened.