【Aim】 The aim of this study was to identify the species of sunfish that invaded the waters of central Shanxi Province. 【Method】 The captured sunfish were identified morphologically on a preliminary basis, and six of them were selected randomly for DNA extraction, amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COⅠ) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. The genetic distance of the sample sequences was calculated according to the Kimura 2-parameter model, and the resulting sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree using the neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum likelihood (ML), and Bayesian inference (BI) methods for clustering analysis. 【Result】 The results showed that the fish were morphologically consistent with the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). The average length of the COⅠ gene sequences was 642 bp, and the average content of A+T (51.37%) was slightly greater than that of G+C (48.61%). The average length of the Cytb gene sequences was 819 bp, and the average content of A+T (52.54%) was greater than that of G+C (47.46%). The differences between the average inter- and intra-specific genetic distances of Cytb and COⅠ gene were 11.58 and 9.94, respectively. The measured gene sequences had the most closely related genetic similarities and distances to known green sunfish genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 12 sunfish formed an independent clade based on COⅠ and Cytb gene sequences. The sample gene sequences clustered with green sunfish and were significantly different from those of the other closely related species. 【Conclusion】 The fish that invaded the waters of central Shanxi Province were green sunfish. The use of COⅠ and Cytb genes could effectively identify morphologically similar invasive species. The results provide an early warning for aquatic biodiversity protection in Central Shanxi and a scientific basis for the prevention and control of invasive fish.