The term Family Centrarchidae refers to a group of freshwater fishes that are commonly known as sunfishes or panfishes. The family includes about 33 species, which are found primarily in North America. Synonyms for the Family Centrarchidae include the Lepomidae, which was formerly used to describe some of the sunfish species, and the Heliidae, which was used to describe the longear sunfish. The Centrarchidae family is known for its ecological and economic significance, and many of its species are popular for sport and food. Despite the various synonyms that have been used to describe this family, the scientific community has widely adopted the name Centrarchidae.