Shadow Bass/Rock Bass?

I'm not too good with pics. I have not figured out how to add new pics from my cmera to my computer without adding all the old ones.
Anyway I was sampling along the Saint Lawrence River in NY and all I could find where Round Gobies (everywhere!They are really taking over.) and rock bass. I scooped my net under an overhang and pulled out what looked exactly like a 2" shadow bass. It had dark green-brown markings just like in the Peterson field guide, and blazing red eyes with a dark line running through the eye area.
I know that Shadow Bass are not native to this area, but considering the gobies,who knows...? These days you can find all sorts of fish in places where they do not belong.
So what do you think, did I find a Shadow Bass or do young Rock Bass look like them?
I caught many rock bass of the same size and none of them looked like this one.
He now lives in a 55 gallon with some small mudminnows and a pumpkinseed. His coloration has tuned more light green and his eyes are no longer red. He was in a ten gallon and when I moved him he regained the dark banding which faded after being in the new tank for a while.

Sounds like a juvenile rock bass to me, for comparison take a look at this photograph... http://www.bio.txsta...s rupestris.htm

I'm not too good with pics. I have not figured out how to add new pics from my cmera to my computer without adding all the old ones.
Anyway I was sampling along the Saint Lawrence River in NY and all I could find where Round Gobies (everywhere!They are really taking over.) and rock bass. I scooped my net under an overhang and pulled out what looked exactly like a 2" shadow bass. It had dark green-brown markings just like in the Peterson field guide, and blazing red eyes with a dark line running through the eye area.
I know that Shadow Bass are not native to this area, but considering the gobies,who knows...? These days you can find all sorts of fish in places where they do not belong.
So what do you think, did I find a Shadow Bass or do young Rock Bass look like them?
I caught many rock bass of the same size and none of them looked like this one.
He now lives in a 55 gallon with some small mudminnows and a pumpkinseed. His coloration has tuned more light green and his eyes are no longer red. He was in a ten gallon and when I moved him he regained the dark banding which faded after being in the new tank for a while.

NY is to far north for shadow bass to be native. They're from the south unless they were accidently transported to your area like the round gobies. Shadow bass are the southern version of the rock bass.

Edited by exasperatus2002, 19 June 2010 - 02:07 PM.

Sounds like a juvenile rock bass to me, for comparison take a look at this photograph... http://www.bio.txsta...s rupestris.htm

Yep, I did some more research after posting this and found the evidence much to my disappoint. I do like the fish regardless. He looks more like a Shadow than this pic, but I have found others online that do as well.
I was hoping it was a transplant.
Thanks.

NY is to far north for shadow bass to be native. They're from the south unless they were accidently transported to your area like the round gobies. Shadow bass are the southern version of the rock bass.

Yeah, I was hoping it was a transplant, but looks like it is a rock bass. Nice looking one regardless.
Thanks.

did you consider it might be a warmouth? much more likely than a shadow bass based on location but a young rock bass is the most obvious answer. They often look darker with more blotches if they have been hiding under something, which could explain why it looked different from the others you caught.

did you consider it might be a warmouth? much more likely than a shadow bass based on location but a young rock bass is the most obvious answer. They often look darker with more blotches if they have been hiding under something, which could explain why it looked different from the others you caught.

Well the markings are much more shadow bass/ rock bass like. I'm pretty positive it is just a cool looking rock bass at this point.
Thanks!