, ▁but ▁some ▁populations ▁represent ▁introdu ctions , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁in ▁Lake ▁Ontario ▁and ▁the ▁upper ▁Sus que h anna ▁River ▁system . ▁ ▁In ▁many ▁areas , ▁this ▁fish ▁is ▁sym pat ric ▁with ▁a ▁closely ▁related ▁member ▁of ▁its ▁genus , ▁the ▁band ed ▁sun fish ▁( E . ▁ob es us ). ▁The ▁two ▁species ▁are ▁hard ▁to ▁tell ▁apart . ▁They ▁are ▁known ▁to ▁hy brid ize . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁This ▁fish ▁reaches ▁about ▁ ▁in ▁maximum ▁length . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁smallest ▁fish ▁in ▁its ▁family . ▁It ▁has ▁sp ines ▁in ▁its ▁d ors al ▁and ▁anal ▁fins . ▁Its ▁tail ▁fin ▁is ▁rounded ▁in ▁outline . ▁Its ▁body ▁is ▁covered ▁in ▁white ▁or ▁blue ▁d ots . ▁Some ▁individuals ▁have ▁ir ides cent ▁sp ots . ▁There ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁few ▁pale ▁bars ▁on ▁its ▁sides , ▁but ▁these ▁are ▁rare , ▁especially ▁in ▁adult s . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁par as it ic ▁flat w orm s ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁in ▁this ▁fish , ▁such ▁as ▁Gy rod act yl us ▁gl or ios i ▁and ▁several ▁U ro cle id us ▁species . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁ ▁Several ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁fish ▁vary ▁ge ograph ically . ▁Fish ▁on ▁the ▁East ▁Coast ▁and ▁in ▁Florida ▁are ▁larger ▁than ▁individuals ▁in ▁Mississippi , ▁for ▁example . ▁The ▁fish ▁becomes ▁sex ually ▁m ature ▁at ▁larger ▁sizes ▁in ▁more ▁northern ▁lat itudes . ▁This ▁may ▁be ▁because