[4] Lepomis punctatus is olive-green to brown in color with black to reddish spots at the base of each scale that form rows of dots on the side.

The spotted sunfish is a warmwater native of the Southeastern United States that inhabits areas of slow moving water.

[4] It is evaluated by the IUCN as a Least concern species and shows little danger of decline or high sensitivity to habitat changes.

[8][9] The spotted sunfish is a subtropical fish of the Southeastern United States found at latitudes of 41°N - 26°N.

It is found in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal drainages from the Cape Fear region in North Carolina to the Apalachicola River system in western Florida.

[4] Spotted sunfish are largely insectivores throughout their entire lives, feeding on midge larvae and other immature insects.

[12] Because sunfish feed on similar prey items throughout their lives, competition occurs between young and adult fish.

In the closely related bluegill, cannibalism in areas of high nest density has been observed.

Juvenile and adults choose similar habitats, though younger fish sometimes show a preference for greater vegetation.

[7] It is a demersal fish that inhabits slow moving streams and rivers, swamps, and less brackish portions of estuaries.

[4] Like other centrarchid fishes, Lepomis punctatus reaches sexual maturity after about two years.

[4] Like many fish, males of Lepomis punctatus may exhibit one of two different breeding behaviors.

Although nearly half of the nests showed evidence for parasitism, 98% of the embryos were sired by a single guardian male.

[4] General centrarchid management should be sufficient to maintain a healthy population of spotted sunfish.

Intense management for more desirable sport fish could cause a decline in spotted sunfish.

[18] Management to prevent the spread of cichlids is an important step in maintaining the sunfish population.

They are frequently found in areas with woody debris that offer shelter from velocity and provides cover.

Small decreases (0.30m) in river stage below base flow conditions resulted in 20–70% declines in a study by Dutterer and Allen.

Though the spotted sunfish itself is not threatened, managing for this fish benefits the entire aquatic community.

[citation needed] A threat to many centrarchids and potentially the spotted sunfish are invasive cichlids from the pet trade.

The invasive Rio Grande cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) has had negative effects on bluegill in New Orleans.

[citation needed] There is potential that the range of invasive cichlids will increase as climate continues to warm .