11 replies to this topic

[taldridge0321]

I caught this fish in the Lumber River in North Carolina. I frankly have no idea what it is. Before anyone says Bluegill, I caught several Bluegill moments before that looked absolutely nothing like this fish. I am not a novice with fish identification but would appreciate any feedback on what species of fish this is.

 

The color was almost a solid rust color, it had a small blue mark behind each gill that was small like a Pumkinseed's. It had a mouth like a Bluegill or Sunfish, not at all like any bass or Warmouth. A local fisherman was there and I inquired from him if he knew what species it was and he said it was a "hardhead." In this spot on the river which is more like a canal, I was pulling up Bluegill, Flier, the mystery fish, a beautiful Bluespotted Sunfish, a Robust Redhorse, Redfin Pickerel, Redbreast Sunfish, Warmouth and Pumkinseed. None of what I caught color wise looked anything like the mystery fish.

 

Thanks for any help guys and appreciate the feedback.

 

 

Tim  IMG_3049.JPG   27.16KB   5 downloads

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Edited by taldridge0321, 03 June 2016 - 06:24 AM.

[dredcon]

My first thought would be spotted sunfish

[centrarchid]

Spotted Sunfish at least part of the picture.  Either image distorted making head / mouth appear small or something else is mixed in.  I would like to see fish under better lighting with mouth closed.  If alive the fish needs to be held with natural orientation so we can see all of eyes.  The blue patch on both Red Spotted and Spotted Sunfishes drops out with hybrids.

 

Fish looks female.

[taldridge0321]

Thanks guys, here are two more pics, I hope you guys get a better idea of what this is from these pics.

 

So are we leaning towards a Spotted Sunfish still?

 

Thanks again for posting.

 

 

Tim

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[Michael Wolfe]

The upper pic here shows a bit of the bright blue crescent under the eye. That pic looks to be a spotted to me.

[taldridge0321]

The upper pic here shows a bit of the bright blue crescent under the eye. That pic looks to be a spotted to me.

I have been looking up the Spotted Sunfish, there are also Redspotted Sunfish and Orange Spotted Sunfish. Which do you think this species is? Thanks for the reply.

[taldridge0321]

The attached pic here is the closest thing to the mystery fish that I can find on the internet. What do you guys think? The attached pic is a Redspotted Sunfish and it looks very close.

 

Thanks again.

 

Tim

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[gerald]

The Lumber River in NC/SC has only the "regular" Spotted sunfish, L. punctatus. 

We dont have L. miniatus (redspotted) or L. humilis (orangespotted) in the Carolinas.

 

Did you get any pictures of the "redhorse" ?  More likely it was a spotted sucker or chubsucker, or maybe Notchlip or Carolina redhorse.

Far as I know Robust redhorse have never been reported in the Lumber River.

[taldridge0321]

Here ya go. It was in the canal system of the Lumber River so I really don't know which Redhorse species are in there. I thought it was a Common Carp at first but then realized it was something else. I looked up the Carolina Redhorse at first, is this what this is?

 

There were no barbels near the mouth at all and the fish had a lot of black on it.

 

I also posted a pic of the most beautiful Bluespotted Sunfish I caught in the canal.

 

Thanks for the info on the Redhorse.

 

Tim

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[gerald]

I think that's a chubsucker, Erimyzon.  Adults lose the distinctive juvenile pattern.  And yes ... nice bluespotted sun!

[taldridge0321]

I think that's a chubsucker, Erimyzon.  Adults lose the distinctive juvenile pattern.  And yes ... nice bluespotted sun!

Interesting. What kind of Chub sucker?

[gerald]

Probably E. oblongus, which is much more common than E. sucetta.