Habitat
Where
The Lepomis gulosus resides primarily in the Mississippi River, and the surrounding areas. Wisconsin, Texas, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio are all states in which bodies of water are likely to contain the Warmouth sunfish.
The Ecological Niche
The Warmouth sunfish spend much of their time on the bottom of the streams, lakes, and ponds where they live. They will tend to move toward heavily vegetated areas for feeding and breeding. (Winkleman) This ecological niche is shared with many other fish, as well as snails, turtles, and countless species of bacteria. Though they will typically stray from shallow water they can also be found in the benthic, or deepest, zone of the body of water. (Birdsong)
Adaptations to environment
The warmouth is capable of living in very low oxygen levels, so it is easy to find in heavily polluted bodies of water, and can survive well there. (Miller)
