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Interesting hybrid fishes

Started by Guest_NateTessler13_* , Sep 08 2011 04:10 PM

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 04:10 PM

Hello everybody,

I've run across a number of hybrid fishes during the last few months of surveying streams in Illinois (some of them are obvious hybrids, others...I'm not so sure). I'm starting to go through some of my pictures and I just thought I'd post a few of them here. I was thinking a few of these fishes could use an extra set of eyes in identification.

The first:
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^ I called this fish a Lepomis macrochirus x Lepomis humilis in the field. I'm pretty confident in this one.

A strange one:
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^ I'm not sure if this is just a color morph of a black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) or...if it could be a Pomoxis nigromaculatus x Lepomis sp....

Another one:
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^ We encountered a number of Lepomis microlophus at this site, but this one looked quite a bit different from the others. I tentatively called it a Lepomis microlophus x Lepomis macrochirus. Thoughts on this one?

I have a number of other possible hybrids that I came across that I'll post here as I keep going through pictures.

-Nate

Edited by NateTessler13, 08 September 2011 - 04:11 PM.

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#2 Guest_NVCichlids_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 04:24 PM

Nice pictures and good ID's. I can see both of the ID's you have (top and bottom). That middle crappie like one once again looks similar to what you suggested. The weird thing is, I have caught two that look similar about 10 years ago.. never thought of hybrids when I was younger, but now knowing more about the fish, they definately did resemble hybrids.

I like this thread already, cannot wait to see more.

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#3 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 04:29 PM

Thanks! I'm still not totally sold on the crappie hybrid. Besides the coloration, the fish seemed pretty similar to a black crappie.

Here's a series of photos representing a goldfish x common carp hybrid:
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^ The Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio hybrid is the top fish, while a regular common carp Cyprinus carpio is on the bottom for comparison. The hybrid fish has a different head shape, very small mouth barbels (highlighted in pictures below), and a much broader caudal peduncle.

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^ more close-ups of the hybrid fish.

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#4 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 04:40 PM

And the bullheads...

Black bullhead chin barbels:
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Yellow bullhead chin barbels:
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and then there's this guy...:
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All three fish were collected in the same pond. I encountered a number of bullhead with odd looking chin barbels throughout my surveys.

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#5 Guest_CATfishTONY_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 05:03 PM

i do not think the catfish are hybrid.
but the crappie ? hybrid cross is very odd.
i would like to hear from some of the pro's on this one for sure.

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#6 Guest_Usil_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 08:01 PM

I was always surprised at the morphology within a species as I observed in our college biology library of samples when I went to university. Quite a big difference can be observed for the same species. Probably some are sorted out in a more definitive way later as populations, characteristics and breed habits become more studied but still, there is a lot of variation in nature. NANFA members, recording your observations, conditions, map locations and pictures, even in these threads, is valuable information and could be used to collectively add insight to the species and better define their differences.

Usil

Edited by Usil, 08 September 2011 - 08:07 PM.

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#7 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 08:25 PM

Don't forget the lateral dots on the hybrid goldie!

That bluegill x crappie is wild.

Todd

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#8 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 08 September 2011 - 10:21 PM

Hello everybody,

I've run across a number of hybrid fishes during the last few months of surveying streams in Illinois (some of them are obvious hybrids, others...I'm not so sure). I'm starting to go through some of my pictures and I just thought I'd post a few of them here. I was thinking a few of these fishes could use an extra set of eyes in identification.

A strange one:

^ I'm not sure if this is just a color morph of a black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) or...if it could be a Pomoxis nigromaculatus x Lepomis sp....

To me it kind of looks like a Flier Sunfish Centrarchus annularis they do hybredize with Crappie.

Where in Illinois was it caught?

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#9 Guest_blakemarkwell_*

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Posted 09 September 2011 - 01:35 AM

Yeah, but flier have a large ocellus on the dorsal fin and a tear drop. You're definitely right about Centrarchus and Pomoxis hybridization. In fact, they're more closely related to each other (and to Acantharchus, Ambloplites, and Archoplites) than either one is to Lepomis. While flier do occur in Illinois, they're restricted to the southern portion.

BTW, has anyone caught Enneacanthus and Lepomis hybrids?

Edited by blakemarkwell, 09 September 2011 - 01:44 AM.

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#10 Guest_natureman187_*

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Posted 09 September 2011 - 12:50 PM

Daaaaang, I'm infatuated with sunny hybrids and that ospot thing is killer.
I would agree with Lepomis microlophus x Lepomis macrochirus. It's a relatively common one with plenty variation.