Edited by IsaacSzabo, 27 August 2012 - 09:23 AM.
Hybrid Sunfish?
#1 Guest_IsaacSzabo_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 09:16 AM
#2 Guest_Skipjack_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 09:36 AM
#3 Guest_centrarchid_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 10:04 AM
#4 Guest_IsaacSzabo_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 12:34 PM
Several things stand out to me as different from a typical green:
1. Mouth extends to just the front of the eye versus close to the center of the eye.
2. Pronounced depression on nape versus straight nape.
3. Body depth greatest near the pelvic fin insertion and tapering significantly versus body depth tapering more gradually.
4. Pectoral fins appear to be slightly longer and more pointed versus shorter and rounded (from looking at higher resolution photos).
5. Blue spots/spangles on side forming loose vertical bars versus blue spots forming loose horizontal rows; vertical bars (when present) composed of dark pigment.
6. As Centrarchid mentioned, broad operculum stripes versus narrow operculum stripes.
Can these differences be explained by variation within the Green Sunfish species? Or by factors like sex, age, or environmental conditions? What about a hybrid with a different species? Longear, Redear, and Spotted were also present.
Edited by IsaacSzabo, 27 August 2012 - 12:56 PM.
#5 Guest_Skipjack_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 01:38 PM
#6 Guest_Orangespotted_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 03:04 PM
#7 Guest_centrarchid_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 03:55 PM
I have made crosses involving greens with bluegill, longear, redspotted and warmouth. Only the F1's were looked at. The warmouth hybrid does conserve the typical green sunfish shape while the others do not. Shape of fish in question does not look to me to be typical of F1 crosses involving bluegill, longear and redspotted and color is not right for the warmouth hybrid. What is not being considered is a back cross of one of the F1 hybrids back into green sunfish. That would yeild an animal that is 3/4's green sunfish which might be more greensunfish like in shape. Males of the F1 green sunfish x bluegill are fertile. Others F1's I played with do not appear to have been fertile even though they nested and female not given a choice would spawn with them.
#8 Guest_IsaacSzabo_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 04:09 PM
Orangespotted, the tail seems a little big for a green to me as well, and the head bump is another thing that doesn't seem to fit. The fish was around 6-7 inches long. Besides Greens and Bluegills, there were also Longears, Redears, and Spotteds.
You could certainly be right Centrarchid. A back cross could explain it. Have you ever seen a green x redear cross? The opercular tab has a little red, and vertical bands on the side kind of remind me of a redear.
#9 Guest_centrarchid_*
Posted 27 August 2012 - 06:20 PM
#10 Guest_butch_*
Posted 29 August 2012 - 02:56 PM
I agreed with others: it's a hybrid...just not a F1 hybrid.
#11 Guest_centrarchid_*
Posted 29 August 2012 - 03:54 PM
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