7 replies to this topic

[centrarchid]

A student of mine will be exploring a hybrid of Orange Spotted sunfish as a potential replacement for sunfish marketed as live catfish bait. Market volume low and based largely on pure green sunfish. We are after a truly sterile and uniform looking cross.  We are also trying to compile images of hybrids for later comparison with crosses we will be making.  Does anyone have pictures of such?

[keepnatives]

Why produce a hybrid for such a purpose could the purpose not be fulfilled with a normal sunfish species?

[centrarchid]

Trying to stop bait bucket introductions is very much part of what is going on.  Green Sunfish very fertile and Green by Bluegill is far from sterile.  If my way realized only sterile farm raised animals would be allowed for sale to reduce genetic contamination of receiving populations as well as help minimize movement of disease organisms.

[Evan P]

I know that Brian Zimmerman has a picture of a humilis x peltastes somewhere, and I'm sure dozens of people have humiliating x macrochirus, but I'll see if I can find some of mine. If you guys do by some chance pick humilis x peltastes, please let me know. I would happily purchase some "bait."

[Matt DeLaVega]

Ohio has many catfish pay lakes. The preferred live bait by paylakers are green sunfish or longear sunfish, which they call rock bass and pumpkinseeds. I do believe that green sunfish may be preferred by the catfish, as they are rather soft and mushy compared to most Lepomis. I could see a market for a sterile hybrid that these lakes could sell.

 

 These pay lakes are horrible. Full of hundreds of thousands of huge flatheads and blue catfish. All which have come from the wild and now are essentially swimming dead fish. But that is another story.

[centrarchid]

The soft characteristic is something we want to keep.  I wonder why?  Bait market for the catfishery in MO also prefers green sunfish.  Part of reason is toughness on the hook.

[olaf]

Here's one my daughter caught last week. Guessing the other species is bluegill or green.

[centrarchid]

Here's one my daughter caught last week. Guessing the other species is bluegill or green.

Bluegill is part of mix.  Green is not.  Overall it looks to have Orange-spotted in it.