Is this an evergladei or okefenokee/gilberti?

I saw this picture and am confused. Is this an Elassoma evergladei, as it is claimed? http://www.free-pet-...water-fish.html
Are these? http://www.aquabid.c...tive

Both sites show okefenokee or gilberti, as you suspected. As far as I know evergladei never have the broad blue marginal bands on the fins. If anyone here HAS seen evergladei with blue marginal fin bands I'd like to see/hear about it.

I e-mailed the seller through aquabid and gave them a link to this topic. Honestly, I think Elassoma okefenokee and gilberti are a lot prettier than Elassoma evergladei, so finding out my fish were okefenokee or gilberti instead of evergladei would make my day. I'm a bit biased, though.

I e-mailed the seller through aquabid and gave them a link to this topic. Honestly, I think Elassoma okefenokee and gilberti are a lot prettier than Elassoma evergladei, so finding out my fish were okefenokee or gilberti instead of evergladei would make my day. I'm a bit biased, though.

I saw that auction a while back and thought it was a bit misleading since he has them listed as evergladei, the top pic is definitely e.gilberti/okefenokee and the bottom looks like evergladei (to me anyway)

I saw that auction a while back and thought it was a bit misleading since he has them listed as evergladei, the top pic is definitely e.gilberti/okefenokee and the bottom looks like evergladei (to me anyway)

I see a blue patch behind the eye of the fish in the bottom right of the bottom photo, which would mean that it is a female Elassoma gilberti.

I see a blue patch behind the eye of the fish in the bottom right of the bottom photo, which would mean that it is a female Elassoma gilberti.

Ah I see it now, didn't know that was a good identifier between the two. So maybe they are all e.gilberti and just labeled as e.evergladei then, idk.

Erica, if you're in touch with the seller, ask where his/her fish were collected. If its Suwanee River basin they could be either one, but otherwise location oughta tell us. According to Snelson et al female gilberti CAN have that blue-green dash behind the eye, but they dont always, so females without it could be either species.

"I see a blue patch behind the eye of the fish in the bottom right of the bottom photo, which would mean that it is a female Elassoma gilberti". Ah I see it now, didn't know that was a good identifier between the two.

Erica, if you're in touch with the seller, ask where his/her fish were collected. If its Suwanee River basin they could be either one, but otherwise location oughta tell us. According to Snelson et al female gilberti CAN have that blue-green dash behind the eye, but they dont always, so females without it could be either species.

I thought the only species that could have blue behind the eye in a female was gilberti? Hmm.

The person said that they're going to join NANFA soon, so when they do, we can discuss it with them. I'll pm you their e-mail address so you can ask them about the collection site.

Edited by EricaWieser, 06 September 2011 - 11:30 AM.

Well...I was the one who purchased these fish so I would certainly be interested in knowing which species they are LOL

I've yet to get a good enough look at any of the males and pics turn out too blurry with my camera.

Well...I was the one who purchased these fish so I would certainly be interested in knowing which species they are LOL

They're Elassoma gilberti.
This is what an evergladei looks like: http://www.nothobran...nenbarsche.html
Here's an article with a picture of both an evergladei and an okefenokee. Compare the two images. http://www.fishchann...h-elassoma.aspx What you have is closer to the okefenokee, no? Well, okefenokee are nearly identical to Elassoma gilberti, with one key difference that you can tell by the naked eye. Female gilberti can have a blue almost semicircle behind their eyes, while okefenokee don't.

Breeding females of E. gilberti often have blue dashes below and behind the eye, which are lacking in female E. okefenokee.

Link: http://biology.unm.e...et al. 2009.pdf

Edited by EricaWieser, 12 September 2011 - 08:34 AM.

The 2nd pic labelled "evergladei" in Joshua Wiegert's article is actually another E.zonatum (note dark bars, eye-stripe, and dark blotch behind eye-stripe). I think the Fish Channel folks mixed up the photos -- Josh knows his species.

Here's an article with a picture of both an evergladei and an okefenokee. Compare the two images. http://www.fishchann...h-elassoma.aspx What you have is closer to the okefenokee, no?

Edited by gerald, 12 September 2011 - 11:29 AM.

The 2nd pic labelled "evergladei" in Joshua Wiegert's article is actually another E.zonatum (note dark bars, eye-stripe, and dark blotch behind eye-stripe). I think the Fish Channel folks mixed up the photos -- Josh knows his species.

*headdesk*
I give up, I'm never going to understand the difference between the Elassomas! XD

*headdesk*
I give up, I'm never going to understand the difference between the Elassomas! XD

Gerald knows them because he's seen them. Once you've kept them, they are easier to identify. I've been lucky enough to have E. gilberti before they were officially gilberti and I've sampled various populations of E. zonatum and E. evergladei. There are some locales in NC that are supposed to have both zonatum and evergladei. If you are truly interested in everything Elassoma, it would benefit you to get out there and see them in the flesh.

]If you are truly interested in everything Elassoma, it would benefit you to get out there and see them in the flesh.

Plus, it's FUN!!! Swamp, swamp, swamp, swamp! (Swamp being a verb, ya' know.)

Looks more Okefenokee to me but I still haven't gotten very close looks at the colored up males. Oh well, I wanted those more anyways. Thanks everyone!