They are not native to Arkansas. Longest Sunfish are the ecological equivalent to Redbreast Sunfish. Redbreast Sunfish were experimentally stocked in the 60’s in a few places in Arkansas, see map below. According to the new Fishes of Arkansas book, some genetic sampling was recently done in the areas they were stocked in the 60s and they found evidence a Redbreast sunfish DNA mixed in with Longear Sunfsih DNA. Basically the two species hybridized in these few areas and you can no longer find pure Redbreast or Longear Sunfish.
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