11 replies to this topic

[FishGuyJosh]

My colleagues over in the delta caught this fish and wanted my opinion. I thought I'd pass it around here too. They usually get redear and warmouth in their trawls. Although bluegill and green sunfish are found there. Most of them are leaning toward redear X green sunfish, but some of them are thinking redear X warmouth. Thoughts?

 

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 hybrid2.JPG   136.75KB   2 downloads

[Dustin]

I'm sticking with Green x Bluegill.

[Isaac Szabo]

Interesting fish. The large mouth and orange fin tips are green sunfish traits. As for the other half, I would guess bluegill or redear.

[butch]

Looks like 100% bluegill x green hybrid to me since I caught them that looks exactly like that and we have no redear sunfish in Minnesota.

[Matt DeLaVega]

That is a nice looking fish. Really robust looking, but still more streamlined than a bluegill. It is different than the BGxGSF that I usually see from hatcheries or wild. It is a bit more streamlined, and that orange on the fins is a much deeper shade.

 

 The head shape makes me wonder if it does have redear as the other component.The light colored margin around the opercular tab is something different from most greengills I see. Almost looks like there should be a red spot in the middle. I have never seen a redear x green for sure. I could see it being either bluegill or redear as well. I don't see anything that looks like a warmouth is in the mix though.

[butch]

On orange edges on the fins, it looks like the greengills I caught out of pea green waters. Could be the environment/diet that made them looked like that way. Again, we have no redears in Minnesota, so I seriously doubt this fish has any redear in them.

Edited by butch, 26 September 2015 - 05:29 PM.

[FishGuyJosh]

I agree that there appears to be no warmouth in this hybrid. It does look A LOT like the common greengills. However, I have a lot of them in my collection, and there is definitely something different about this one. Given the makeup of the area UC Davis was sampling, I am really leaning toward redear x green.

 

What I find amusing is the difference in the discussions. The UC Davis crew was set that is was part redear and arguing whether the other half was green sunfish or the more common (in the area) warmouth. Where as over here, we are all positive it's a green sunfish, but torn over the OTHER half. Nice.

[Matt DeLaVega]

I am leaning your way as well Josh. Fish looks different than the greengills that are in every farm pond in my area. However I have never seen a greenear? to compare it to. Good luck. Send the photo to zimmerman.205

@osu.edu   and take his word for it, probably the best guess you will get.

[butch]

Honestly it still looks like a regular old greengill to me.

[Betta132]

Theoretically, could it be a mix of three or four species? I know that's extremely unlikely, but is it possible? 

[Matt DeLaVega]

Theoretically, could it be a mix of three or four species? I know that's extremely unlikely, but is it possible? 

Not likely but yes possible. That is why many of these hybrid threads have to be taken with a grain of salt. No certain answer, just educated guesses or speculation. They sure are interesting even if we never know the real answer.

[butch]

3waycross and 4waycross hybrids are extremely rare and almost nonexistent in the wild unless you stocked them in ponds. Nature made that way to prevent hybridisation too much.