8 replies to this topic

[mattknepley]

There is a stream that runs through Greenwood, SC that has caught my eye since we moved to the area. Rocky Creek runs right next to the main road through town, behind the mall, and through other urbanized areas. Much of it is dredged, channelized and otherwise abused. But a couple sections, including immediately downstream from the mall, look like they might not be too bad off. The stream is to the right of the photo, just inside the trees.

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Finally got to hitting it today, and was amazed at the fish. Not top notch diversity, but the bioload for such a small crick was unexpected. Will do a report on it sometime when I have better pics. Suffice to say I couldn't swing a dead Ictalurid without hitting a Lepomis. Many were easy to id, but maybe you can help me with the following...

Redbreast, L. auritus, right?

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I forget, what species does this dark black dorsal fin base with red upper indicate?

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This one looks like a dollar to me, L. marginatus, in the mouth/head region. But they'd be very unlikely here. Who do you think it is? Funky-lookin' pseed?

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They're probably all redbreast, aren't they?

[mattknepley]

Thanks for the diagnostic tips, Will. That first one I was pretty sure on, but not convinced. I will be remembering that red/black dorsal fin from here on out, as well as the "freckle" description; very useful knowledge to have. The fish had me puzzled. It shared the orange freckles of the first two, but not the fin coloration. It's face also didn't seem quite as rounded as other redbreasts. Is it likely a female? It seems funny that I can't recall ever seeing the one redbreast diagnostic always pointed out- the long opercular lobe. Maybe because I usually see this species in small cricks, where they're stunted? Glad you like the conversational tone. I certainly haven't a knack for scientific-type talk...

Cyfan, if it makes you feel any better, I'm a Mountaineer, and your boys put the last nail in our gridders' coffin this past season, and made it feel like FALL will never get here. Can't wait to wash the taste of '13 out of my mouth!

[Isaac Szabo]

Another redbreast feature that all 3 of your fish show is 2 light-colored horizontal stripes, 1 above and 1 below a dark horizontal stripe at the end of the opercle and perhaps slightly onto the ear flap. I think Casper pointed this out to me.

[mattknepley]

Thanks for the ear flap help, Isaac and Casper. I was trying to use those as a guide,too, but just wasn't putting it together at home or in the field for some reason. Maybe I was trying too hard. There were a ton of sunfish there, bluegills and redbreasts. The bluegill are distinctive and no trouble. Several of the redbreast were easy, but a couple just seemed off. Didn't know if they might be another species, hybrids, or something else. Those pics certainly were border-line usable at best. Thanks for working with them!