Originally described by John Richardson from Lake Huron in 1836, it was synonymized with Amia calva until genetic work in 2022 revealed them to be separate species.

[1] This species ranges from around the Great Lakes south to the Gulf Coast wetlands of Louisiana and Texas.

It is absent from the southeast, where its sister species Amia calva is found instead.

It also has a more pronounced eyespot, has a longer body, and males have green coloration during the breeding season.

[2] The two species split approximately 1 to 2.5 million years ago during the mid-Pliocene.