Javascript Disabled Detected

You currently have javascript disabled. Several functions may not work. Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.

ID juvenile MN sunfish

Started by Guest_Alexander_* , Jan 30 2012 08:47 PM

Please log in to reply

15 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Alexander_*

Guests

Posted 30 January 2012 - 08:47 PM

I bought 2 small sunfish the other day from a local fish store in the twin cities.
When I asked about them I was told they were green sunfish. One of my field guides tell me that the hard rays are shorter than the soft rays on green sunfish. Looking at that and their pectoral fins not being pointy I fell they are neither L. cyanellus or L. macrochirus. Being the size they are and the time of year I am assuming they were tank bred. I could be wrong. They were sold as native fish from a store in MN so I'm assuming they are a fish from this state. They don't have much color and are under two inches. here are a few pics

here are both of them
Posted Image

here's a shot of a pectoral fin
Posted Image

any ideas?

Back to top

#2 Guest_UncleWillie_*

Guests

Posted 30 January 2012 - 09:59 PM

Sure looks like regular ol' bluegill to me. Although that emaciated one is hard to tell because of its poor condition.

Back to top

#3 Guest_butch_*

Guests

Posted 31 January 2012 - 07:57 PM

One of your sunfish is a regular bluegill. The other one in bad shape is questionable but it could be either bluegill or green...lets give some time for it to grow up a little.

Back to top

#4 Guest_Alexander_*

Guests

Posted 31 January 2012 - 11:24 PM

Thanks for the responses. They are identical in fin shape so if one is a bluegill I'd bet the other is too. They are both eating well and are quite tame. The black bullhead I got from the same store is also doing well dispite missing an eye. There's no scar where the eye should be so I'm thinking it never had a right eye. They are in a 55 gallon unheated tank with some bristlenose plecos and a common pleco that was neglected for years till I got it. I am thinking all will be ok in this setup as long as I keep up on maintenance.

Back to top

#5 Guest_Newt_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2012 - 12:25 PM

You can kind of see a dark spot in the soft dorsal fin (first pic, lower fish). That's a giveaway for bluegill (greens have matched spots in dorsal and anal fins). The stubby pectoral fins are odd, though. I wonder if they could be greengills?

Back to top

#6 Guest_Skipjack_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2012 - 08:09 PM

Nathan, I have handled hundreds of greengills at that size, and though it is a common hatchery fish, I don't feel it. I would guess they are simply bluegills.

Back to top

#7 Guest_fundulus_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2012 - 09:07 PM

I'd vote for bluegill too. I have a small green at the moment, and it looks very different from these two; these two certainly have that bluegill black spot in the rear of the dorsal. And of course I'll have to figure out what to do with my green as he gets bigger, he's a pretty fish. Maybe I'll name him Martin (!).

Back to top

#8 Guest_flatcapbrew_*

Guests

Posted 01 February 2012 - 09:23 PM

I take it you got them from forest lake pets? I have a a sunfish from there also that was ID'd as a bluegill

Back to top

#9 Guest_Alexander_*

Guests

Posted 02 February 2012 - 01:32 PM

I got them from Aquatropics in Crystal. It's not a shop I prefer but they sell live blackworms and natives so I pop in on occasion. Their fish aren't in the best of shape. I hae yet to check out the forest lake shop. I'll have to put that on my to do list. I fear my setup may be too small so I may trade these once healthy for some smaller sunnies.

Back to top

#10 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 02 February 2012 - 10:11 PM

The black bullhead I got from the same store... I am thinking all will be ok in this setup...

How big is the bullhead? I might not count on seeing the sunfish foe too long... weak sunfish sleeping in a tank with a bullhead... you do the math.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#11 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 02 February 2012 - 10:22 PM

...he's a pretty fish. Maybe I'll name him Martin (!).

I thought I was following you there... but I get distracted by you saying you are going to name a pretty fish, Martin... too much for me to wrap my head around...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#12 Guest_fundulus_*

Guests

Posted 02 February 2012 - 10:46 PM

Well, yeah...

Back to top

#13 Guest_Alexander_*

Guests

Posted 03 February 2012 - 01:19 PM

The bullhead is quite small yet. There's nothing in the tank he could get his mouth around. I can't find him right now but I'd say he's about the same size as the sunnies.

Back to top

#14 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 03 February 2012 - 03:59 PM

The bullhead is quite small yet. There's nothing in the tank he could get his mouth around. I can't find him right now but I'd say he's about the same size as the sunnies.

Since we were picking on Martin just a little bit ago, I have to tell you that I predict impending doom... growth rates,hunger, what fits in a fish's mouth, and a catfish will be a catfish...

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

Back to top

#15 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

Guests

Posted 03 February 2012 - 09:32 PM

Since we were picking on Martin just a little bit ago, I have to tell you that I predict impending doom... growth rates,hunger, what fits in a fish's mouth, and a catfish will be a catfish...

LOL, my first pet sunfish was a Green, upon whom I bestowed the moniker "George". Guess I should have called him Bruce! After all, and people tend to forget this, it was BRUCE who first stated that an unknown sunfish is a green, 90% of the time! I merely accepted this pronouncement as gospel (coming from our esteemed Prez as it did) and have been a disciple ever since.

Oh, and I guess it needs saying: He's gonna die!

Edited by Irate Mormon, 03 February 2012 - 09:34 PM.

Back to top

#16 Guest_centrarchid_*

Guests

Posted 07 February 2012 - 11:26 PM

I suggest growing the little guys out and posting pictures of them again. Bet is that after only 30 days of good growth those little guys will turn out to be hybrid blueggill meaning green sunfish mother crossed with bluegill father. The cross is frequently made and often sold for premium prices to be used in pond stocking.