Pure O-spot or not?

Hello everyone!

Prelude: On the 11th I set off to do some electrofishing for the IDNR on a small finger of lake Red Rock. It was a really fun day, and the others and I caught loads of different species (and more pertainent to the topic, a number of Lepomis hybrids), but amidst the livewell full of writhing lunkers, there were a few glimmers of brilliance (3.3 inches):

I felt like a millionaire... I can never see enough of these beauties.

Since the Orangespotteds are legally considered bait fish in Iowa, the fisheries technician said that I could keep some if I wanted - so I brought home a pair (to make sure that at least one made it alive.) I kept the above fish, which is obviously pure O-spot, but I also kept this smaller one (2.7 inches):


It was a lot less colorful than the other males but was more colorful than the silvery females so just assumed that it was a younger one. Looking at it now in my aquarium though, I'm starting to think that it may not be pure Orangespotted. Compare the little photobomber to the big showoff:

Just the little guy:

The big one for comparison:

Notice the lack of color in the pelvic fins and the littler ones' concentration of blue at the bottom of the operculum where the larger one's operculum is fading to orange. The other Lepomis species we caught that day were Redear, Green, and Bluegill, and we encountered a few hybrids that were easily discernable as crosses between GreenXBluegill, RedearXBluegill, and OrangespottedXBluegill. So what do you guys think: is it just a suboordinate O-spot, or a hybrid? Thanks for your help.

hybrid

Beautiful Orangespotted! I wish I could find a couple! And I'm pretty sure the smaller one is a OrangespottedXBluegill.

Thank you for your replies.

hybrid

I know that you've seen a lot of different sunfish crosses, so what is your opinion on the parentage of this guy?

Beautiful Orangespotted! I wish I could find a couple! And I'm pretty sure the smaller one is a OrangespottedXBluegill.

Thanks! I would try fishing with a tiny hook baited with a small ghost shrimp or something, since they are very hard to net when they aren't stunned by the electrofishing equipment. Murky waters are your friend.
I thought it was part Bluegill too, I just wasn't very sure. I think I'm going to give it to a friend who has a 180 gallon aquarium because that way if it is indeed part Bluegill then it will have plenty of room to grow. All I have to do now is get them to eat prepared foods (they already scarf down frozen bloodworms which is good).

Edited by Orangespotted, 13 June 2012 - 02:31 PM.

As Yeahson, a bluegill was in woodpile. Those two hybridize a lot.

My favorite sunfish and a beautiful example at that! I have been trying to locate some myself around here with no luck. Hopefully one day I'll get a few of these gems.

My favorite sunfish and a beautiful example at that! I have been trying to locate some myself around here with no luck. Hopefully one day I'll get a few of these gems.

You're not too far away, if I find a good spot sometime I can show you where to get a few. There are a couple of ponds in Des Moines that are really full of them. But I guess you should be careful about accidentally getting hybrids!

Sounds great! Would sure appreciate it!

Recently I was doing trapnets on a lake in SW Minnesota that has only Orangespotted and Green sunfish. I found out that hybrids between these species were dirty common in that lake but they were pretty fish.