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Sunfish Turned Orange-Why?


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#1 Guest_GloverEggs_*

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Posted 02 September 2013 - 07:35 PM

We have four bluegill (common name that we have always called them while fishing) in a 100 gallon tank. Today, one of them turned orange. Usually they are green/blue with blue/purple stripes and an orange belly.

Attached are four pictures.
Orange.jpg is of the fish that has drastically changed color.

Fish1.jpg, Fish2.jpg, and Fish3.jpg are all of the same fish. Two were taken in the tank where it was camera shy and hiding. The last picture I am holding it. These represent (somewhat) the normal color of the fish. The other 3 fish are all this color. Only one fish changed to orange.

We are used to the fish being very green, then having bright, almost iridescent, stripes, then looking very blue. Their color definitely changes through the day and with the changing light. This other fish has changed color more than this. I mean he is orange.

Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.

All of these guys, as well as a large mouth bass, we caught in a city pond in Las Cruces, NM. They are definitely a stocked variety since this is a concrete city pond open to fishing for kids (my kids brought the fish home and put them in the tank).

Thank you.

Attached Files



#2 Guest_jeremygr82_*

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Posted 02 September 2013 - 07:41 PM

You don't have a bluegill. Looks like a Redbreast sunfish to me.

#3 Guest_Orangespotted_*

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Posted 02 September 2013 - 08:28 PM

Your sunfish probably went into breeding mode. If it is bullying other tank members quite a bit more than usual, that pretty much confirms it. Otherwise, I've seen sunfish get noticeably more orange or red after being fed a diet high in carotenes (check your fish food) which is harmless. (By the way, check out this Lepomis ID thread if you would like to ID your fishes. Your pictures appear to display at least three different species.)

#4 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 02 September 2013 - 08:37 PM

I think the fish are different species... the Fish 1, 2, 3 that you say is all the same fish... he does in fact look like a redbreast sunfish Lepomis auritus. And yes, they normally have that really green face with the vermiculations. But the fish in the first picture that you say is orange... well that fish looks very much like a bluegill to me Lepomis machrochirus... and that orange... well that is testosterone... well not literally, but you know what i mean... he is in the mood. I would expect him to get more territorial and potentially even begin to clear out a nest spot.

Some other sunfish experts may chime in here, but I see a hyped up bluegill in the first pic and a normal looking redbreast in the other pics.
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#5 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 02 September 2013 - 10:48 PM

Then there is the obvious explanation: Bluegill ALWAYS turn that color when they are fixing to die.

#6 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 03:11 AM

nicwe color, my redbreast turned a uniform dull brown as soon as it reached my tank and stayed that way since. I noticed redbreasts seem to have alot of regional variation but never checked to see if regional subspecies exist or not.

#7 Guest_UncleWillie_*

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 06:14 AM

Many sunfish change color depending on mood. Last 3 pictures are of a longear sunfish. That looks like most of the longears that you see in Texas, and seeing as you are in New Mexico, you are not that far away. You are out of the range for redbreast (although they have been introduced elsewhere). Those 'Texas' longears tend to have orange/red/yellow from the chest all the way across the belly to the tail. Also, notice the white trim along the opercle tab.

#8 Guest_Dustin_*

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 07:26 AM

I agree with Will. THe first photo is of a breeding colored bluegill and the last three photos are of longears. There are definitely no redbreasts in any of these photos. This certainly explains why one changed and the other three didn't. One is a different species altogether. Very pretty fish no matter. Get ready for the aggression to really kick in if the bluegill attempts to court any of the longears.

#9 Guest_centrarchid_*

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 09:05 AM

I agree with Will. THe first photo is of a breeding colored bluegill and the last three photos are of longears. There are definitely no redbreasts in any of these photos. This certainly explains why one changed and the other three didn't. One is a different species altogether. Very pretty fish no matter. Get ready for the aggression to really kick in if the bluegill attempts to court any of the longears.

The longears look like those one finds in the Mississippi Embayment and parts of Texas. The bluegill is much more interesting. Where did he come from?

#10 Guest_GloverEggs_*

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 08:31 PM

The kids caught all of, originally 5, the brim at Young Park in Las Cruces, NM. This is a city maintained park with a concrete pond that they stock for kids to fish at. Las Cruces is about 50 miles NNW of El Paso, TX. The bass, sunfish, and bluegill all came out of the pond. I know the city stocks it, but it is maintained year round so some fish might breed though it is rare to see fry there.

Based on what I have learned here, we had 3 longears and 2 bluegill. The bluegill that changed color is by far the biggest of all of them. Two of the longears have died in the last two days which probably reinforces the suggestions that the bluegill is in mating mode. He has also changed back to his "black" color (kind of charcol green/gray on top with the normal orange on his belly), however, he has taken up residence in one corner of the tank and just keeps spinning circles there. Definitely new behavior.

When we put the fish in the tank (125 gallons), I quickly noticed a pecking order. The large mouth bass is at the top (way at the top) and then the brim went down the order almost by size. If the bass pushed one bluegill/sunfish out of the way, that fish went and pushed the next one, etc., etc. I went out and found several bricks, scrubbed them down, and built hiddy holes in the tank. I wanted to reduce the chance of aggression by allowing for places of shelter for each fish. Up until Sunday, it worked great. With this big bluegill (he is about 5 to 6 inches long) in mating mode, what can I expect? Will he end up killing the last long ear and the other bluegill? Also, what brings on the mating behavior? I am very surprised to see any mating behavior in fish in a tank.

Edited by GloverEggs, 03 September 2013 - 08:58 PM.


#11 Guest_GloverEggs_*

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 08:30 PM

Change #3 - He is now pretty much all black. Huge color change in just a couple of days. However, no more dead fish! Yea!

#12 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 08:49 PM

Temperature may bring it about. Sunfish can breed almost all summer long.




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